The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United
Kingdom has recently announced it is encouraging further research into the
procedure known as percutaneous venoplasty, to determine if it is effective and
safe for use. The procedure is used to open up narrowed veins in the neck that
carry oxygen depleted blood, in a condition known as chronic cerebrospinal
venous insufficiency (CCSVI), and is of great interest to many people with multiple
sclerosis (MS).
Before the final guidance is published in December 2011, NICE will seek to encourage
anyone with a special interest or experience of the procedure to comment on the draft
recommendation and when published, will help inform MS Australia on the latest
evidence and specialist opinion about the safety and efficacy of percutaneous
venoplasty.
We have actively encouraged Australian researchers who wished to pursue research
into this condition; this has resulted in only two small scale projects. We eagerly await
results from the larger research effort in North America, Europe and Canada and the
final guidance from NICE into this procedure to help shape our policies and in particular,
our advocacy, on this important issue for people living with MS.
MS Australia is committed to minimising the impact of multiple sclerosis on the lives of
Australians and we keep an open mind to possible new treatments. MS Australia and
MS Research Australia will continue to update people with MS on the latest research
and developments in CCSVI.
Ends

https://mssociety.org.au/documents/CCSVI-StatementMSL.pdf