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"...The evaluation of 205 ms patient’s status before the PTA procedure, 6 and 12 months after the procedure was performed using: EDSS, MSFC, PASAT and SDMT tests...
...On the check-up 6 and 12 months after the procedure the EDSS did not show any statistical significant difference between the pre and post procedural values..."

Conclusions

The results obtained in this study suggest that CCSVI is related to Brain Congestive Syndrome rather than MS indicating that “Liberation” procedure may improve clinical signs in patients with MS because of brain decongestion.

The outcome of the procedure was also analyzed using: PRO-patient related outcomes, SF-36 questionnaire,EQ-5D (EuroQol) and Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis (FAMS) quality of life. In order to determine the effects of the procedure blood sample from jugular vein was analyzed 24h before the procedure and 24h, 72h and 7 days after the procedure (pH and bicarbonate, BE, pCO2 and pO2, K+, Na+, CRP).

However, initial benefit of the procedure was seen in almost 70% of treated patients. This benefit was impossible to quantify due to the fact that neurological tools measures quality of changes in different systems but not the quantity. During the one year follow-up period over 40% of treated patients developed almost all symptoms that were present before the procedure. It is interesting that initial benefit was associated with the improvement in the biochemical parameters from the blood sample analysis. This brain decongestions after “Liberation” procedure is probably the reason for relatively fast improvement in clinical signs that we see in some group of treated patients

Is it? Because ...
http://www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(11)02629-2/fulltext
Liberation Procedure in the Treatment of Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency
- Is Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency Related To Brain Congestive Syndrome Rather Than Multiple Sclerosis

What that's means - No benefits with angioplasty on 205 MS patients?!.

In order to determine the effects of the procedure blood sample from jugular vein was analyzed 24h before the procedure and 24h, 72h and 7 days after the procedure (pH and bicarbonate, BE, pCO2 and pO2, K, Na, CRP).

I find this paper extremely encouraging....thanks for posting, mdj!

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency Molic et al. (Clinical Centre Nis, Nis, Serbia) discussed the Liberation procedure in the treatment of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency – whether chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency related to brain congestive syndrome is rather than multiple sclerosis, highlighted chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), which occurs due to compromised blood flow in the veins draining the central nervous system. This condition has been hypothesized to have a causal role in multiple sclerosis (MS). Currently, balloon angioplasty or stenting ‘liberation procedure’ has been the proposed treatment option for CCSVI in MS patients. Molic evaluated this procedure in patients with varying forms of MS with CCSVI. Patients were examined before the liberation procedure and at both 6 and 12 months postprocedure. Approximately 70% of treated patients showed an initial benefit, but more than 40% of the treated patients regained almost all of the preprocedural symptoms after 12 months. The author concluded that because blood biochemical parameters improved postprocedure, the liberation procedure had its greatest effects on relieving brain decongestion.

This study suggests that CCSVI is related to brain congestive syndrome rather than MS.

Brain Congestive Syndrome - is this something new? How they prove that?
Best regards, Mdj.

• The concept of "cerebral congestion" as a cause of apoplexy was first proposed by Morgagni in 1761, and had a profound influence in the treatment of stroke during the next 150 years. It accounted not only for cerebral hemorrhage, but also for lacunes (Dechambre, 1838), état criblé (Durand-Fardel, 1842), depression, maniac outbursts, headaches, coma, and seizures. According to Hammond (1871, 1878), cerebral congestion was "more common... than any other affection of the nervous system." This notion fell into oblivion when an accurate method for bedside determination of blood pressure became available (Riva-Rocci, 1896; Korotkov, 1905) allowing for better understanding of the neurologic complications of arterial hypertension.