Cryosurgery is not necessarily the best approach for an adrenal surgery; it depends on the skill of the surgeon. A good surgeon can get more of the right adrenal out with a scalpel, but since the Vena Cava is right there cryosurgery is safer for that major vein, esp. if the surgeon is not used to ferrets. Therefore, what cryosurgery often achieves is debulking (removal of most of the bulk of the tumor) which means that when a bilateral removal situation exists the chances of needed to replace adrenal products to avoid an Addisonian crash are lower -- though can still happen. It also means that the remaining tissue may regrow. These also can happen with debulking when using other surgical techniques. Some ferrets who get tissue regrowth actually regrow the hormone generating tissue but not the steroidal tissue so those may need meds to avoid Addisons while at the same time needing to be treated for adrenal neoplasia (See another post of mine today for info on treatments.). Ferrets who have enough of both adrenal removed, or have one out but the other is atrophied NEED to have medications to replace the adrenal products. These are Prednisolone, and either Florinef/ Fludrocort or Percorten. Until balance is achieved the ferret may also be helped by providing some table salt for the sodium, or sometimes providing both that table salt and also a bit a banana for the potassium. Ferrets who need these meds often will need increases in the amount of meds when they are under increased physical demands or stresses such as a marked weight gain, marked increase in activity, illness, surgery, etc. Ones who need these meds who get intestinal diseases leading to diarrhea should get Percorten injections instead of using oral Fludrocort/Florinef because the oral meds pass too quickly to be effective in that situation. -- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my private posts) Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them: Ferret Health List http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ AFIP Ferret Pathology http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html Miamiferrets http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ International Ferret Congress Critical References http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5314]