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CCSVI treatment will begin for Kuwait MS patients.
This is from GiCi, the cardiac surgeon who has been liberated, and is friends with Dr. Zamboni- GiCi on the ThisIsMS.com
"I have just received a message from Zamboni: the Kuwait government has decided to treat all its 6000 MS patients with angioplasty at the rate of 10 a day and has asked him for technical assistance.
This is the break-through we all were waiting for and, even if it will not benefit MS patients in the western world immediately, it will certainly pave the way for converting sceptics in the future.
GiCi"
Gianfranco Campalani (GiCi)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8510437.stmis giving us inside information, directly from Dr. Zamboni that all MS patients will be treated. I did some digging and found some press out of Kuwait which is more cautionary, but still VERY encouraging. As I've learned from the press in the US, the whole story is not always told....
From The Kuwait Times-
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTE5OTk0MTY5MA==Kuwaiti urged to launch research program ASAP
Published Date: April 07, 2010
By Ahmad Saeid, Staff Writer
KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti doctor and academic has urged the Ministry of Health to take the necessary steps to launch a research program to investigate the possibility of venous catheterization being helpful in treating Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms. Speaking during a seminar held at the Arab Media Forum headquarters in Yarmouk on Monday evening, Assistant Kuwait University Professor Dr. Tariq Sinan said that the catheterization procedure is completely safe, with very few risks.
It only takes around 15 minutes, and it reduces the [MS] symptoms drastically," he said, adding that neither the health minister or his deputy have suggested that the procedure should be completely stopped. "All they said is that we should hold back a little bit until we are sure this procedure is safe, and I agree with them," he explained.
Dr. Sinan explained that Multiple Sclerosis is an incurable disease that usually occurs in young adults, which is caused by an as-yet unexplained condition, wherein the human immune system attacks nervous system. It occurs more in females than male, and its symptoms include visual problems, fatigue, muscle weakness and other nervous system related symptoms.
So far there is no known cure for this fatal disease," said Dr. Sinan. "There was, however an experiment by an Italian doctor that found a correlation between many symptoms of the disease and narrowed neck veins, and many of those symptoms can be removed by a simple procedure to widen the neck veins." In many cases where this procedure has been carried out, he said, patients' conditions improved enormously.
Amira Al-Mashhoody, a Kuwaiti woman with MS, was extremely positive about the treatment's benefits, telling the Kuwait Times, "We were so desperate to find a solution for our problem that we were constantly browsing the internet and following all the research about MS round the world. We found out that this was done in Poland, and that the results were amazing," she said.
Al-Mashhoody, who is the vice president of the Kuwaiti MS Patients' Association said that after finding out about the amazing results of this procedure, a number of association members visited Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Muzaini, who formed a team of doctors consisting of Dr. Sinan and Dr. Hussain Safar, who visited the health minister and explained to him that the procedure is safe, simple and extremely beneficial.
After receiving the permission of the minister to carry out the procedure, doctors needed someone to volunteer to be the first neck catheter recipient in Kuwait, with Amira Al-Mashhoody decided to volunteer herself.
I used to be very depressed, angry, and my life was miserable," said Al-Mashhoody, "I wasn't able to do anything alone, and my daughter used to help me dress, but right after the procedure I felt that my arms and legs were warmer, and I was able to dress myself alone and leave the room without help.
She continued, "Since then, and until the ministry's decision to halt these procedures, 12 Kuwaiti patients have gone through the catheterization process and they're all in great shape and feeling much better than they used to.
Muna Al-Musairea' was one of the 12 patients who went through the procedure. She said that during the catheterization operation, she was asking the doctors whether the level of lighting in the room had been turned up because her vision improved immediately.
A neurologist was standing next to me, and he said that he didn't believe what I was saying!" she noted. Dr. Sinan noted that many neurologists don't believe that vein width is related to MS symptoms, explaining that this disagreement was the reason behind the ministry's ordering the suspension of the catheterization procedures.
They asked to stop these 'operations' until thorough research is carried out to prove their safety, and their effects on patients' health," he said. The prominent doctor added that doctors on both sides are concerned about the patients' wellbeing, emphasizing that differences of opinion between doctors don't necessarily mean that one party is wrong and the other is right.
Dr. Sinan asserted that the MoH is expected to approve the launch of a research program into the benefits of venous catheterization in MS treatment within the next few days. He urged the ministry to issue its decision on the matter and form the necessary investigative committee as quickly as possible.
Time is always working against MS patients and, in some cases, the damage is completely irreversible, so delay in this regard will cost many people part of their lives," he stressed.
Here is a press release from Kuwait:
Kuwait to resume conducting MS surgeries
Health 4/5/2010 7:52:00 PM
By Mubarak Al-Hajeri KUWAIT, April 5 (KUNA) -- The Ministry of Health will resume surgeries for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in a few days following approval of a relevant protocol for treating this disease.
Health Minister Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer said in a statement to KUNA on Monday the operations would be conducted after a written approval by the patients and informing them on possible side-effects of the operation.
He indicated that this surgery is still classified in the testing stage, has not been accredited by the relevant international health authorities and warrants further researches to ensure that the patients undergoing such surgeries would not suffer from serious side-effects.
Dr. Paolo Zamboni, an Italian vascular surgeon, devised an experimental treatment similar to angioplasty, which involves removing the blockage in the veins that carry blood to and from the brain. Zamboni gained international attention after he published a study in 2009 that suggested the treatment was highly successful in reducing MS symptoms.
However, some experts have expressed concern that the surgery may cause clots in the brain.
In general, people with MS can experience partial or complete loss of any function that is controlled by, or passes through, the brain or spinal cord. (end) mah.rf.rk KUNA 051952 Apr 10NNNN
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2073637&Language=enThis is from the Kuwait MS Liberation Facebook page:
"Congratulations, Kuwait , Minister of health on SkopTV announce the starting of Liberation procedure officially . Thanks God and hope every where soon. Its MS right to have open veins like all of us."
Their campaign began with Kuwait residents who travelled to Poland for treatment and came home and petitioned the government for help. Congratulations!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kuwait/Kuwait-CCSVIMS-starting-community-to-MS-Liberation-research-and-treatment/261778096230I'm sure the Kuwait doctors will be writing up their research and publishing results. We can only hope that our own countries will see the merit behind treatment for venous obstruction and begin similar programs! Joan
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