Your adrenal or suprarenal glands produce hormones responsible for body functions, including maintaining blood pressure, responding to stressful situations and handling different food types. Also, you could potentially die from a little assault on your system but for the anti-inflammatory functions of the adrenal glands. Unfortunately, the glands overfunction in some individuals or may become affected by cancer. Doctors usually try all they can to treat the condition, but gland removal, called an adrenalectomy, becomes inevitable when all else fails.
Soon After Surgery
You need rest and not exercise in the immediate 24 hours following surgery. The immediate exercises you need after this involve simply flexing and releasing your thigh muscles. This exercise is to prepare you for walking about again and reduces your risk of developing fatal blood clots in the legs. Physiotherapists can also assist you with breathing exercises with a special machine known as a spirometry machine. This machine complements your own efforts at deep breathing to further reduce your risk of post-surgery chest infections.
Post-Adrenalectomy Exercises
Now that the post-surgical period is past, you are ready for other exercises. Coughing and deep-breathing exercises reduce your risk of developing pneumonia and other chest infections. Once home, you can do simple exercises like walking up and down the stairs to boost blood circulation. Nothing strenuous is advised, however, especially during the first week after surgery.
Six Weeks After
Surgeons advise that you take things easy within the first six to eight weeks after adrenalectomy. After this period, you are able to return to normal exercises of your choice. You can engage in swimming for exercise, but this is not advisable until at least four weeks after surgery. You are only allowed to return to other strenuous exercises when your doctor advises that it is safe to do so.
Consideration
Because your adrenal glands play a role in regulating stress hormones, your body will react differently to exercise after an adrenalectomy. Your ability to cope with stress drops drastically, making it hard for you to engage in strenuous exercise. You must therefore be cautious about exercise after the surgery.
References
- University of Southern California: Adrenalectomy
- Endocrinesurgerync.com: Postoperative Issues after Adrenalectomy
- University of Dundee: Adrenalectomy
- University Health Network: After Your Adrenalectomy
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Endocrinology Health Guide
- University of Chicago Department of Surgery: Commonly Asked Questions Regarding Your Adrenal Surgery (Adrenalectomy)
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