The basic concept of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) undoubtedly marks the start of a new era in understanding and treating MS. This treatment is intended to diminish, or altogether halt the symptoms of MS and is based on the theory that MS is vascular in nature, and therefore, treatable with surgery. The main theory underlying MS in the past had been that this disease was an autoimmune disorder, but new research now indicates it may be caused by chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, which requires an entirely new way of thinking about the disease and treating it as well.
What is CCSVI?
Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency… it’s a chronic (ongoing) problem where blood flow from the brain and spine to the heart is compromised. The reported blood flow compromises involve both reduced and intermittently reversed (reflux) flow towards the brain. It’s caused by stenosis (a narrowing) in the veins that drain the spine and brain. This basic concept of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) undoubtedly marks the start of a new era in understanding and treating MS.
What are the Screening Tests for CCSVI in Multiple Sclerosis?
The patient is clinically evaluated for Multiple Sclerosis, an eye examination, venous doppler for internal jugular veins and MR venography for neck and chest vessels is done to screen the patient for venous outflow obstruction.
What is Liberation Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis?
This treatment basically involves venography (angiography for veins) and venous angioplasty for internal jugular and azygus veins wherever they are stenosed (narrowed). Wherever indicated, a stent may have to be implanted in the patient keep the stenosed vessel open. For this procedure, the patient has to undergo a puncture in the groin under local anesthesia. It is done with the patient awake in our Cath Lab.
The procedure is usually pain free and a patient is allowed oral diet an hour or so later. It however, requires the patient to be on bed rest for the next six hours as the patient should not move their leg for six hours to prevent any collection of blood (hematoma). This procedure typically will involve 3-4 days hospitalization, one pre-procedure and one post procedure visit.
Liberation Treatment at Forts Hospital, Noida
After spending months in closely tracking CCSVI’s development, Dr. Vikas Gupta decided that the overwhelming feedback from MS patients worldwide who had been treated and were reporting phenomenal improvements was sufficient proof of the efficacy of this treatment. He traveled to Poland in order to obtain first-hand experience at the clinic where close to twenty patients were being treated in a week.
Armed with this knowledge as well as an understanding of international protocols, on May 26th, 2010, he treated a 60-year-old female who was suffering from multiple sclerosis for the last eleven years. Coincidentally, it happened to be “World MS Day” as well. The patient reported remarkable relief, compared to her pre-operative neurological symptoms, as noted by Dr. Sanjay Saxena. Dr. A K Singh, Director of Neurosciences, observed that this novel therapy seems to be working better than most conventional drugs available at the moment.
Moving forward, they will be selecting patients based on internationally accepted screening protocols, keeping a meticulous record of all cases. At the moment, Fortis is accepting MS patients for evaluation or to send in their specified medical records in order to be screened for treatment.
If the results of the CCSVI screening are positive as per internationally accepted protocols, the patient will be taken up for treatment immediately.
About the Author
With 39 hospitals across the country, over 5000 beds and 48000 surgical procedures in the last year alone, Fortis is one of India’s largest healthcare and Asia’s fastest growing network. Fortis Hospitals network consists of 11 hospitals focusing on the high end tertiary care around the specialties of cardiac care – adult and pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, complex brain & spine surgeries, orthopedics and joint replacement surgery and minimal access surgery.
The entity consists of 2 JCI accredited hospitals located in Bangalore and Mulund. Wockhardt Hospitals Bangalore – now a network hospital of Fortis is a 400 bedded Multi specialty hospital with state of the art facility equipped with latest technology and truly World class Clinical Talent dedicated to the whole range of Cardiac, Orthopedic, Neurosciences, Minimal Access Surgery and Women & Child Services. www.wockhardthospitals.net
