This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

The fifth patient was the worst patient that I had ever treated. He came in, in a wheelchair, his arms and legs were contracted. His movements were very, very limited. He couldn’t even turn his head. He couldn’t clear his throat. He could not speak. He was legally blind. It was almost like a coma situation. We had to do his venogram from the left side because we could not straighten his right knee. We did this procedure, and he had the worst blockages until then. One side was approximately 99 percent blocked, and incessantly neurologists will ask, “Well, what about the gradient in the vein?” To prove a blockage to be real or not, you have to show that the blood pressure in the vein above the blockage as well as below the blockage has a significant difference. In him, it was a 18-millimeter mercury, which is very rare for the veins. You should have zero to tree pressure difference in the veins. So for him, 18-millimeter mercury pressure difference in the veins above and below the blockages on both sides, was very dramatic. You can never see that in a normal person. Period! We treated one of his sides with the balloon. The other side was completely blocked. It wouldn’t open up with the balloon, so I had to put a stent in, which I don’t like to do but in his case it had to be done because there was literally nothing to lose. He was supposed to come for his 4-week follow–up. He didn’t, so I was worried that he did not have any improvements. He showed up another 4-weeks later. He was able to move his arms. He is started to see. His vision went from 20/200 to 20/30. On his initial visit, his wife had to translate everything that he said because I was unable to understand him. But during the follow up visit he had this whole conversation with me with a very clear voice. He was still in a wheelchair, but he was able to eat, able to move his arms with contractures improved. He used to have 3-4 severe headache episodes everyday, which he did not have any since the day of the procedure. After that case, I had no question in my mind regarding the efficacy of this procedure.

Also what do you make of the pressure difference Dr. Arslan is discussing?