From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2003-01-09 21:23:42 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Clyde's Upcoming Adrenal Surgery
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <20030109162342.67dc85da.whiteweasel@earthlink.net>
Hi, Sukie, and everyone else,
>
> Well, last month we actually did lose Glueball right after surgery,
> but that wasn't an adrenal surgery.
I stand corrected. My apologies.
> She had very widespread lymphoma
> and never made it out of the hospital. That wasn't a case of vet
> error.
We had a similar situation with Ryo-Ohki. Our vet found tumors
everywhere, and we made a conscious decision not to let her wake up.
Our vet could have removed a number of the tumors and she would have
lived a time longer, but her quality of life was zero. She was
miserable and Keith and I did not want to put her through more
suffering. I don't count that as "lost during surgery" because the
surgery, if done, would likely have been successful in prolonging her
life.
>
> We have never lost one right after an adrenal surgery, though. The
> reason I have taken to mentioning this is because last year I learned
> of someone who -- after losing a ferret -- was told by the vet that a
> third of the ferrets having adrenal surgey at that practise are lost.
I have heard of vets with mortality rates as high as 50% for right and
bilateral adrenal surgery. I am horrified when I read about such
things. There is risk in any surgery, of course, but the success rate
for adrenal surgeries should be very high indeed. It is when a skilled
and experienced ferret vet does the surgery.
All the best,
Caity and the