Press Release | Government

Press Release: CCSVI 101

Submitted by ccsviontario on Apr 25, 2012 - 04:03 PM | |







CSVI Ontario sets the record straight on the "controversial" MS Liberation Treatment

THE CONTROVERSIAL MS “LIBERATION” TREATMENT OR CCSVI 101

WireService.ca Press Release - April 25, 2012



On April 19, the Ottawa Citizen published a story by Sheila Dabu Nonato about Mutiple Sclerosis (MS). The heading for the story screamed, in typical fashion,



CONTROVERSIAL MS TREATMENT TO RECEIVE CLINICAL TRIALS



The following is CCSVI 101. We hope the media will read this lesson carefully and learn.



First, most people with MS also have a vascular condition known as Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency or CCSVI. CCSVI is a term that describes malformations of the veins that drain blood from the brain namely the jugular veins, the azygous vein (in the chest) and two vertebral veins running down the back of the neck. Dr. Zamboni’s theory is that these veins are blocked or narrowed or malformed in a way that prevents or slows the blood draining properly from the brain. The blood seeps from the veins into the brain tissue. The red blood cells are laden with iron. As the blood cells break down iron is deposited. The immune system kicks in to do what it is supposed to do and that is clean up the iron. Unfortunately, the immune system activity causes nerve damage. In 1839 a French anatomist noticed that plaque in the brains of people with MS were always around veins so Dr. Zamboni’s theory is not new. It has just been ignored by MS Specialists.



Second, the treatment for CCSVI, pioneered by Dr. Paolo Zamboni, is balloon angioplasty. Angioplasty is a standard of care in hospitals across Canada. It is low risk and effective. Contrary to the information the Minister of Health provided to her Conservative colleagues in February, balloon angioplasty is used in veins on a regular basis. It is used to treat Budd-Chiari Syndrome (hepatic vein), May-Thurner Syndrome (iliac vein), dialysis patients including their jugular veins, varicose veins and veins affected by atherosclerosis. There is nothing controversial about balloon angioplasty nor is it a dangerous treatment. To suggest otherwise is illustrating either willful ignorance or intentional fear mongering.



Third, the treatment for CCSVI is not a cure for MS. Rather, it is a treatment for a condition that the International Union of Phlebology has classified as a congenital vascular abnormality. Canadians with MS are not allowed to be treated for CCSVI. That is what is controversial – the willful discrimination of Canadians with MS that results in denial of treatment and denial of follow-up care in Canada when these Canadians seek treatment outside the country.



Fourth, the only groups that consistently refer to the treatment of CCSVI as “the liberation treatment” are the misinformed media, misinformed politicians and MS Specialists who want to advance the “cult” aura.



Finally, Canadians with MS are not desperate individuals who must be protected from themselves. We are generally a well-educated and thoughtful group of people who do our research before deciding whether or not to seek treatment for CCSVI. Our ranks also include doctors who have been treated and who have urged Dr. Kirsty Duncan (MP Etobicoke North) to continue fighting because the procedure works (House of Commons speech, Kirsty Duncan, December 8, 2011). The “desperate” description suits the media (it sells newspapers) and more than suits the MS Specialists who have their own agenda driven by a lucrative bottom line. The media should not forget that MS is a multi-million dollar a year industry and those who live off MS benefit greatly from it.



CCSVI Ontario (518 members)