Adrenalectomy for treatment of hyperadrenocorticism in cats: 10 cases (1988-1992)

Outcome of and complications associated with bilateral adrenalectomy in 8 cats with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia and outcome of and complications associated with unilateral adrenalectomy in 2 cats with adrenocortical tumor (adrenocortical adenoma, 1 cat; adrenocortical carcinoma, 1 cat) and unilateral adrenomegaly were determined. Glucocorticoids were administered to all cats at the time of surgery, and mineralocorticoids were administered to the 8 cats that underwent bilateral adrenalectomy. A ventral midline celiotomy was performed in all cats. Intraoperative complications did not develop in any cat. Postoperative complications developed in all cats and included abnormal serum electrolyte concentrations (n = 8), skin lacerations (n = 5), pancreatitis (n = 3), hypoglycemia (n = 2), pneumonia (n = 1), and venous thrombosis (n = 1). Three cats died within 5 weeks after surgery of complications associated with sepsis (n = 2) or thromboembolism (n = 1). Clinical signs and physical abnormalities caused by hyperadrenocorticism resolved in the remaining 7 cats 2 to 4 months after adrenalectomy. Insulin treatment was discontinued in 4 of 6 cats with diabetes mellitus. Median survival time for these 7 cats was 12 months (range, 3 to > 30 months). Two cats died of acute adrenocortical insufficiency 3 and 6 months after bilateral adrenalectomy, 2 cats were euthanatized because of chronic renal failure 3 and 12 months after bilateral (n = 1) or unilateral (n = 1) adrenalectomy, and 2 cats were alive 9 and 14 months after bilateral adrenalectomy. In the remaining cat, clinical signs recurred 10 months after the cat had undergone unilateral adrenalectomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)