Wednesday, January 12, 2011 8:28 PM
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Ken Torbert
Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) - The Liberation Procedure
Overview Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a devastating disease that has severe effects on people from all walks of life, most often striking young adults in their prime. The causes of MS are not well understood, and there are probably a number of different factors that have to be present for the disease to develop. The possibility that abnormalities of venous drainage of the brain and spinal cord are a contributing factor to MS has been raised several times over the last 80-100 years, but has usually been discounted
There has been much attention and research aimed at identifying the possible connection between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and MS. CCSVI is a syndrome in which the flow of blood in the veins draining the central nervous system (CNS) are compromised, creating difficulty in getting the blood in the brain & spine back to the heart. Some researchers theorize that this particular condition possibly hastens the development of MS or may be a factor leading to the worsening of MS symptoms..
Recent work by Dr. Zamboni et al in Italy has revived the concept that there is a vascular component to the MS disease process. Their studies show that a large proportion of patients with MS have abnormalities of the veins draining the head and neck, causing abnormal flow patterns and presumably causing abnormal vein pressures in the brain. Patients without MS, whether healthy volunteers or those with other neurological diseases, do not seem to have these abnormalities of the veins.While this is not entirely defined, it should be noted that many of the symptoms of CCSVI have been successfully treated for years. These symptoms may include swelling of the head, face, or neck, skin color changes within the head, face, or neck, swelling, heaviness, and throbbing of the arms, and occasionally light headedness. The specialized team at Vascular Access Centers will help you to determine if CCSVI treatment for MS may be the right decision for you. Upon consultation, including the review of the patient's medical history and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies, the patient and their family will be informed of potential treatment options and realistic expectations. Clinical outcomes vary from patient to patient but those that respond to endo-vascular therapy can have amazing relief of symptoms and reversal of neurological deficits. Patients have responses ranging from relief of their MS symptoms entirely, temporary relief of their MS symptoms, or no relief of their MS symptoms at all. What To Expect First, chose a location that is suitable for you. Vascular Access Centers has multiple locations where CCSVI treatment is offered. With 22 locations and multiple physicians who perform the procedure, scheduling is a snap. Patients can be seen relatively quickly. No waiting list!! Our participating locations include but are not limited to:
Trenton, NJ Jersey City, NJ West Orange, NJ Mays Landing, NJ Philadelphia, PA Memphis Seattle Downey liberation@vascularcenters.com) if you see a location geographically more suitable to you. http://www.vascularaccesscenters.com/PublicPages/ChronicCerebrospinalVenousInsufficiency.aspx
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