Adrenal surgery helps woman regain health and avoid Cushing’s
Mood and energy levels improved after removal of adrenal gland tumor
A woman with an adrenal gland tumor producing cortisol, which may have progressed to Cushing’s syndrome without treatment, experienced relief from her symptoms after surgery to remove the tumor.
The woman, Hanna Pierce, expressed relief that her symptoms resolved quickly after the procedure, citing improvements in her mood and energy levels.
“Surgery to correct cortisol-producing tumors can make a major difference in quality of life, even if patients don’t meet the full criteria for a Cushing’s diagnosis,” Feibi Zheng, MD, an endocrine surgeon at Baylor Medicine who performed the procedure, said in a Baylor news story.
Cushing’s is a group of conditions caused by having too much of the hormone cortisol in the body. Common symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, and mood changes. In some cases, the excess cortisol is due to a tumor, often in the pituitary gland, a condition known specifically as Cushing’s disease, or in the adrenal glands near the kidneys. When the source is outside the pituitary, it is generally referred to as Cushing’s syndrome.
Cortisol overproduction can ‘silently wreak havoc on the body’
The adrenal glands “sit on top of the kidneys and produce hormones like cortisol that regulate everything from metabolism to the body’s stress response,” Zheng said. “If a tumor is overproducing cortisol, it can silently wreak havoc on the body over time.”
Excess cortisol production, including by a tumor, may not always meet full diagnostic criteria for Cushing’s. Without treatment, however, the condition can progress to Cushing’s.
Pierce’s diagnostic journey began shortly after she gave birth to her second child and was recovering from COVID-19. She was concerned about a potential blood clot, so imaging was performed by urgent care providers. On the scans, they identified an adrenal tumor.
“I didn’t have symptoms,” Pierce said. “They were checking for something else and just happened to find it.”
Pierce and her care team decided to monitor the situation, because the tumor was producing slightly elevated cortisol. Although symptoms developed over the following years, she didn’t initially connect these to the tumor.
“After my second child, I couldn’t lose weight no matter what I did. I had anxiety, constant fatigue in the afternoons, and I wasn’t sleeping well,” she said. “But I just chalked it up to being a mom of two.”
In 2024, she received a referral to see Zheng, who determined the tumor was still producing excess cortisol. After consultation, Pierce decided to pursue surgery, which Zheng believed would help ease her symptoms.
She didn’t feel well, but she didn’t know why. Now that the tumor is gone, her symptoms are improving, and her health trajectory is back on track.
Adrenal surgery led to improved mood, reduced fatigue
Zheng performed a robotically assisted procedure to remove the tumor. While this typically involves going through the front of the abdomen, Zheng decided on an alternate protocol, which went through the back. “It’s a less common approach, but for the right patients, it can reduce pain and speed up recovery,” she said.
Within weeks of the surgery, Pierce reported improvements in her mood and reduced fatigue.
“I dropped four pounds almost immediately,” she said. “My face wasn’t as puffy. I felt less anxious and more like myself. Even though I was still recovering, I had more energy, and my body felt like it had reset.”
This case highlights the difference that removing a cortisol-producing tumor can have from a patient perspective, according to Zheng.
“She didn’t feel well, but she didn’t know why,” Zheng said. “Now that the tumor is gone, her symptoms are improving, and her health trajectory is back on track.”
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