Addison's Disease and Surgery: An Overview
During stressful events such as surgery, the adrenal glands increase cortisol production. For people with
Addison's disease, this increase does not occur. Therefore, during stressful events, hormone medications may need to be increased.
Treatment for Addison's Disease and Surgery
Patients with Addison's disease who need surgery with general anesthesia are treated with injections of hydrocortisone and saline. Injections begin on the evening before surgery and continue until the patient is fully awake and able to take medication by mouth. The dosage is adjusted until the maintenance dosage given before surgery is reached.
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