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Treatment Plans
1. Registration
The first step in the MS patient journey is to register your interest in CCSVI treatment with The Essential Health Clinic. This usually comes after a long period of due diligence where you have investigated the available evidence on CCSVI and the ability of The Essential Health Clinic to meet your needs as a patient.
2. Doppler Scan & Medical Consultation (takes place at our clinic in Glasgow)
The next stage on the journey is the Doppler scan of your neck veins to screen for signs of CCSVI. This scan will be carried out by one of our team of experienced vascular ultrasonographers led by lead scanner Vic Fernando. Doppler is a very useful and non invasive tool but depends to a large extent on the skill and experience of the scanner. Vic has 20 years experience as a vascular ultrasonographer which has resulted in a very high detection rate of CCSVI in our clinic. With the experience of over 750 CCSVI scans and training from Professor Paulo Zamboni and his team, this detection rate is now over 95%, close to the reports levels from Professor Simka and Professor Zamboni.
The result of your scan will be discussed with one of our healthcare professionals who have been trained in CCSVI and MS management. It is important to address all the aspects of MS to ensure best results. This includes attention to the diet, omega 3 and vitamin D awareness and control of the immune system. The Essential Health Clinic has been involved in the development of a number of new and effective treatments for MS which are complementary to CCSVI treatment. This consultation will take place after your scan (if a Glasgow appointment) and by telephone the following week for a Guildford scan.
3. Before acceptance for the procedure
Patients will be sent an MRSA kit with full instructions in advance of their CCSVI procedure. It is important that patients take the swab and return it in the prepaid envelope as soon as possible. Please note that if a patient receives a positive result the CCSVI procedure will not go ahead.
3. Pre operative assessment (takes place at The Edinburgh Clinic)
This assessment will take place in the days leading up to your procedure where the surgeon and anesthetist will carry out an examination of each patient. This examination is important to assess fitness for the procedure but also to assess physical functioning. We advise patients to arrive no more than 10 to 15 minutes before their allocated appointment/procedure times.
3. Research assessment (included above)
We are committed to the development of CCSVI into a standard treatment for the MS community. Research is an essential part of that effort and we have designed a research framework to measure any changes produced by CCSVI treatment. If you have consented to take part in this research you will be sent an email the week before your procedure containing two standard questionaires which should be completed and returned prior to your attendance. You will also have a 45 minute interview with a research nurse who will conduct a series of standard tests which will help assess the status of your condition. These tests will be repeated after six months and will form the basis of measuring any changes produced by CCSVI intervention.
3. CCSVI procedure (takes place at The Edinburgh Clinic)
You will attend the treatment centre and be taken to the theatre suite where you will be prepared for theatre. You will have an IV infusion put in place by the anesthetist, you may receive some mild sedative medication via the infusion. The objective is to have you comfortable and pain free during the procedure. Correcting stenotic veins involves the inflating of a balloon catheter inside the narrowed vein. This will stretch the tissues of the vein which may result in an uncomfortable sensation which in some cases may require pain relief to be administered by our experienced anesthetist who will keep the patient as comfortable as possible.
An injection of contrast medium will be used to visualise the venous system also known as a venogram. This will confirm the presence of abnormalities detected by the Doppler scan in the case of the jugular veins. In the case of the azygous system this cannot be visualised by Doppler scanning or even by MRV. It is best visualised by the injection of contrast medium at the time of the procedure but is a vitally important part of any treatment. In our experience 95% of patients have some azygous involvement in their condition requiring treatment by angioplasty. At times you may be asked to stay still for a few seconds so that images can be taken during the venogram.
The main aim of angioplasty is to increase the diameter of the vein where it is at its narrowest until it reaches the diameter of the ‘normal –appearing’ part of the vein. Every patient is looked at as an individual. We use a balloon angioplasty catheter to increase the diameter of the vein.
In some cases the use of angioplasty balloon catheter is not sufficient to correct the narrowing of the veins. In these rare cases the surgeon may elect to insert a stent. Stent insertion has been used in less than 10% of cases in other CCSVI treatment centres around the world, but is a treatment of last resort. Stenting would only be considered as a last resort and after consultation with the patient as it also requires the prolonged use of blood thining medication to reduce the chances of blood clotting after stent insertion. To date we have not used stents in the UK.
3. Post Op Assessment (takes place at The Edinburgh Clinic)
Following the procedure patients attend a post op appointment usually a day or so later. We advise patients to arrive no more than 10 to 15 minutes before their allocated appointment/procedure times. After a post consultation you are usually allowed to go home. We advise patients who are travelling by plane to wait at least 48hrs after the procedure before flying. You will be asked to attend for a post operative assessment in the days after your procedure. This is a brief but very important consultation which enables the surgeon to assess the impact of the operation.
3. Post Op Care
The usual post angioplasty regime is low dose asprin 75 mg daily in combination with high dose omega 3 supplementation. The patient will be advised about omega 3 supplementation at our medical consultation and we would recommend having omega 3 levels checked by blood testing to ensure accuracy of dosage. We are committed to ensuring an excellent package of follow up care for our patients. You can contact our team at The Essential Health Clinic at any time before or after your procedure for advice. You will be contacted by one of our nursing team several times after your procedure to assess your progress. We have a dedicated team with unrivaled knowledge in this area and they are available for advice and support. Following symptoms is part of our follow up care. Patients will tend to observe an improvement on one or more of their symptoms and as such we will actively contact patients to assess their progress.
3. Six month Doppler Scan & Medical Consultation (over two locations)
Part of your treatment package includes a follow up Doppler scan, medical consultation and MRI scan. This will help assess your venous status and also gives an opportunity to raise any concerns or questions you have. If you have consented to take part in research you will receive the research questionaires by email and it is vitally important that these are completed and returned prior to your consultation. You will also be assessed by our research nurse at this consultation using the standard testing used before your procedure. This information is crucial to the progress of CCSVI in the UK and beyond so we thank you for participation. The Doppler scan tends to be the best way to follow up your progress at 6 months. The Dopplar scan takes place at our clinic in Glasgow and the MRI scan takes place at The Edinburgh Clinic.
Treatment Prices
1. The Doppler Scan and Doctors Consultation, is £525. Click here for available appointments
2. The remaining elements of the package is £7,465.
3. This makes our total package from start to finish £7,990.
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Join our CCSVI Treatment List
£100.00
Anyone can apply to go on our CCSVI Treatment list. A deposit of £100 is required and this is fully refundable at any time prior to being offered a CCSVI Scanning & Treatment appointment.
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The information given on this website, is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 
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