NICE to review surgery for CCSVI

03 May 2011

Author: MS Trust

NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) has announced that it will be considering guidance to the NHS on balloon angioplasty with or without stenting as treatment for CCSVI.

Chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a theory developed by Paolo Zamboni, a vascular surgeon at the University of Ferrara in Italy. His theory is that stenosis (an abnormal narrowing or obstruction) in blood vessels that take blood from the brain allows a build up of iron. This is then able to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause inflammation and damage to cells in the central nervous system, leading to MS symptoms.

It has been proposed that CCSVI can be treated by surgical procedures either by inflating balloons (balloon angioplasty) to open the narrowed veins or by inserting a stent (mesh tube) to support the vein.

A consultation document about the safety and efficacy of the surgical procedures will be issued summer 2011 with a provisional publication date for the final guidance set for the autumn.

http://www.mstrust.org.uk/news/article.jsp?id=4641