(SOURCE: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NINDS Multiple Sclerosis Information Page)

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Most people experience their first symptoms of MS between 20 and 40 years of age. Initial symptoms often include blurred or double vision, red-green color distortion, or blindness in one eye. Many MS patients experience muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance. The symptoms may be severe enough to impair walking and standing and can produce partial or complete paralysis. MS patients also typically experience numbness, prickling, or "pins and needles" sensations, and pain. Hearing loss, speech impediments, tremors, and dizziness are other frequent complaints. Nearly half of all MS patients experience cognitive impairments such as difficulties with concentration, attention, memory, and poor judgment, but such symptoms are usually mild and are frequently overlooked.

(SOURCE: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NINDS Multiple Sclerosis Information Page)

TREATMENT: There are several treatment options for multiple sclerosis. They range from oral medications to injections. One newer and somewhat controversial treatment option is known as venoplasty for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency or CCSVI. CCSVI treatment is a non-operative, minimally invasive intervention. It is typically performed as part of a catheter-based endovascular procedure. CCSVI treatment requires either balloon angioplasty and/or stent placement to open or clear obstructions from the veins that drain the brain and spinal cord. Treatment risks include post-procedural bruising, infection and short-term (1-2 hours) post-procedure dizziness or headache.

The procedure was coined by Italian vascular surgeon, Paolo Zamboni, whose wife has MS. Zamboni theorized blood flow might be impaired by iron deposits clustered near the jugular veins. Almost all the patients Zamboni tested with Doppler ultrasound had veins in the neck that were narrowed, twisted or blocked. In 2009, Zamboni published results of a study after trying the balloon procedure on a small group, including his wife, and finding that most had fewer MS attacks and improved quality of life. Patients reported abandoning their wheelchairs, being able to think more clearly and having better vision.

(SOURCE: ccsvi.org)

MOFFITT CANCER CENTER: Bulent Arslan, M.D., from Moffitt Cancer Center performs the venoplasty procedure. "The reason we started performing this specific procedure at Moffitt is because a patient contacted me personally after checking the Society of Interventional Radiology website and found out that I am an interventional radiologist with experience and interest in vein treatment. I agreed to provide this service to her and once she had a very good outcome, she referred more patients. As patients had good outcomes, we continued performing the procedure.  Although the mission of Moffitt Cancer Center is obviously to help prevent and cure cancer, the center is not opposed to helping other patients in need if the physicians have time and ability to treat them."

CONCERNS: Some doctors believe the short and long-term benefits of the procedure are being blown out of porportion. Dr. Bruce Zwiebel, an Interventional Radiologist at Tampa General Hospital says, “We need to make sure this procedure works, make sure it’s durable, find out more about it.”  Dr. Arslan has performed 120 of the procedures. It's not a cure, but he says 70 to 80 percent of his patients whose tests confrim CCSVI show improvement after treatment.  More than $2 million has now been committed to study the procedure in the US and Canada. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Kim Sarratea, Assistant to Dr. Arslan

Moffitt Cancer Center

(813) 745-8425

Kimberly.Sarratea@moffitt.org

http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=646841#.TjhcX4KwWeI