Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 6/20/2009

Question
I was diagnosed with Polyglandular Auto immune in 1990.This involves all my endrocrine glands.With Addison's I am told to avoid surgery.However in 1980 I underwent three major surgeries and was told I had complications in the last two (unspecified) and the first I had a bad bleed.As there was a possibility I was asymptomatic with Addisons long before diagnosis I was wondering what those unspecified complications may have been.(My surgeon never went into details as they were not as open as they are today)
Why I am vague is I was unconcious for a few days and vomited several times after each surgery.I felt my chest was sore several days after too.Hope you can answer my queries.

Answer
Addison's disease is caused by a lack of Cortisol in the blood stream. Cortisol is the hormone you release under stress. Surgery is a stress on the body (of course depending on what type of surgery) so if you can't mount a stress response, you were likely hypotensive and required drugs to keep your blood pressure up. Your chest being sore means they might have done chest compressions on you but I would think they would have told you that.


Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston