CCSVI : A controversial theory about the cause and proposed surgical treatment of multiple sclerosis is putting the patients who want it at odds with most of the medical community.

Discussion about CCSVI seems to have slowed down lately and although I don't wish to have it done myself, I know there are some people who are still looking into it.

Here in Australia the procedure has met with much opposition; to the extent that some public hospitals have banned the procedure completely and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to get a doctor to do it for you... even in the private setting.

One of our television programs recently aired a segment about CCSVI and if the subject interests you and you have 9 minutes too spare, the following video is certainly worth a look.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3399100.htm


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Koala,

Thanks for that informative news clip.

Many of the comments made are so typical of what has been happening in the world of MS medicine for several years when something like CCSVI comes along.

For instance, Prof. Chambers says that there have been some deaths from the CCSVI procedure and that it is expensive! I guess he has conveniently forgotten about the 39 Tysabri patients who have died so far from using that drug which can cost up to $ 60,000 a year for each patient.

Rob Hubbard says that the medical system in Australia will be glad to offer the procedure after scientific research proves that it is beneficial for MS patients. Yet Dr. Thibault says that the neurologists are providing a lot of opposition to this research! So, if your jugular veins are blocked, need repair and you DON'T have MS, you are welcome to have the operation. But if you have MS and have the same condition, don't bother us!

I'm not saying that CCSVI is THE answer to MS because a lot of research is needed in that field. But as long as our current esteemed MS neurologists are running the show, this research isn't going to happen anywhere near the schedule it should. Now if we could only entice a large pharmaceutical company into thinking millions of dollars of profit can be had with CCSVI, the situation would change overnight. But we all know that just won't happen.

Harry