From:
sukieferret
Date: 2002-05-14 18:50:00 UTC
Subject: Re: RE:Insulinoma surgery candidate?
Once an insulinoma is advanced surgery may be less useful.
Then again, if Prednisone, Proglycem, and even added sugar in
diet aren't cutting it, even after they have been pegged to the max
then it may be better than doing nothing. The thing to do is to
discuss it with the treating vet who will know the individual the
best.
Usually surgery is the first way to go, and now vet, Mike Dutton,
has an experimental appraoch which might decrease the
reoccurance rate. If memory serves, right now about 40% of hte
individuals get new insulinomae after surgery, but of course that
means that 60% (more than half) do not. Improving upon that
60% would be very good.
Normally, we have surgery done early, but at times we have one
who is not a surgical candidate. Our 8 year old Warp is not a
surgical candidate. Meds have kept her going for about a year
now, and we've had to add oral sugar since her meds are
pegged at their highest levels now, and it works, so what the
heck since she is happy and that is a lot better than death...
So, ask the treating vet then take what you have learned fromt eh
vet and elsewhere, and decide from that.