Final answer:
The removal of adrenal glands in an adolescent male can lead to Addison's disease due to the lack of corticosteroid production, affect the normal development of secondary sexual characteristics due to reduced testosterone levels, and may necessitate hormonal replacement to manage growth and cardiovascular implications.
Step-by-step explanation:
An adolescent male recovering from surgery to remove the adrenal glands will experience significant effects on his growth and development. The adrenal glands produce essential hormones, such as cortisol and aldosterone from the adrenal cortex, as well as epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal medulla. The absence of these glands may result in a disorder known as Addison's disease characterized by the hyposecretion of corticosteroids. Furthermore, other hormones produced by the adrenal glands, like testosterone are critical during puberty for the development of secondary sexual characteristics and the initiation of spermatogenesis.
As a result of the adrenal gland removal, the production of these hormones would be directly impacted, which could lead to issues such as an altered onset of puberty, changes in sexual development,and potential cardiovascular implications due to the role of adrenal hormones in heart function. Moreover since the adrenal glands also contribute to the body's response to stress and metabolism management their absence could necessitate lifelong hormone replacement therapy to manage these effects.