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BNAC offers training in the subject of CCSVI, including how to perform the doppler scan and interpret results:

http://www.bnac.net/?page_id=608

Their website says they are one of 2 facilities in the world offering the training in the Zamboni protocol.

We should check to see if our local ultrasound technicians can attend.

Lanie, I hope when you get time you will post a long missive answering a bunch of questions I have and I bet others do too. First off, what do you call yourself, a sonographer, an ultrasound technician, a voodoo priestess skilled in the use of Zamboni's magic wand?

What is the training required to be a regular sonographer? What conditions are you trained to see? What is involved in the BNAC training? What equipment do you use and or there any equipment options? Maybe others have more questions.

I'd like to get a little primer on what you are looking for and seeing. If you want, you can use my images before and after and show us what you see as reflux, abnormal valves and stenosis. Are you up for it?

Boo

Cece wrote: Over on Facebook, it was mentioned that BNAC is certifying

Yes, Dr. Zamboni began working with BNAC over a year ago to have a facility in North America that would train and certify sonographers in evaluating for CCSVI.

The week long training is quite rigorous, even for an experienced vascular RVT.

thornyrose76 wrote:Where in the Mid-West did this individual get an improper dopplar ulitrasound, out of curiosity?

We wanted to report on this scan just for information purposes &the need to seek a quality exam not to discount another facility.

CaptBoo wrote:Lanie, I hope when you get time you will post a long missive answering a bunch of questions I have and I bet others do too. First off, what do you call yourself, a sonographer, an ultrasound technician, a voodoo priestess skilled in the use of Zamboni's magic wand?

What is the training required to be a regular sonographer? What conditions are you trained to see? What is involved in the BNAC training? What equipment do you use and or there any equipment options? Maybe others have more questions.

I'd like to get a little primer on what you are looking for and seeing. If you want, you can use my images before and after and show us what you see as reflux, abnormal valves and stenosis. Are you up for it?

Boo

Boo, Ultrasound Technologist or Vascular Technologist is a typical title for our position. Training in diagnostic medical sonography is required and takes several years then we need to pass board exams to obtain credentials in different specialties. A technologist that wants to become certified in CCSVI must already have experience in vascular ultrasound. The BNAC training is extensive and a technologist who attends needs to already have a high level of scanning ability and understanding of vascular hemodynamics prior to training.

The CCSVI exam is a lengthy and comprehensive look at the blood flow in the deep cerebral veins, internal jugular & vertebral veins. The exam protocol includes evaluating for reflux, looking for limited to no flow, documenting collateral development and anomalies throughout.

I hope this helps you understand what we do. Glad to hear you are feeling great!

Lanie

Laine - thank you so much for educating us; it is very much appreciated!!

I am not sure if this is true, but I heard it has to be on a the new Siemens Ultrasound Machine with special software, for the CCSVI protocol testing. Is this true?
CD

CD wrote:I am not sure if this is true, but I heard it has to be on a the new Siemens Ultrasound Machine with special software, for the CCSVI protocol testing. Is this true?
CD

The Biosound Esaote equipment is what is used primarily. This company has been working closely with Dr. Zamboni's team for some time to refine the machine and software.

does anyone know if PI has somebody there trained in the full zamboni protocal? or what clinics do?

Lanie, where are you preforming these test?

Lanie is at CCSVI Atlanta. She has tested me twice.

Just to be clear: you can't tell anything about the azygos with Doppler, right?

The technician in Barrie told me that she had a way of checking that the azygous was open using the doppler ultrasound. I am a Dr Siskin patient and he couldn't find my azygous but Angela said I did have one and that I had bloodflow through it!

Hooch wrote:The technician in Barrie told me that she had a way of checking that the azygous was open using the doppler ultrasound. I am a Dr Siskin patient and he couldn't find my azygous but Angela said I did have one and that I had bloodflow through it!

That is something!! They check the vertebral veins (I was told at AAC Brooklyn that I had beautiful verts, during the ultrasound) and if there is reflux in the verts, that indicates there may be reflux in the azygous. It's indirect but at least it's information. For Angela to be able to say that you had an azygous with bloodflow through it, she must have been seeing the verts flowing and they have to be flowing somewhere, which is the azygous...I hope I've got this right.

Cece wrote:

Hooch wrote:The technician in Barrie told me that she had a way of checking that the azygous was open using the doppler ultrasound. I am a Dr Siskin patient and he couldn't find my azygous but Angela said I did have one and that I had bloodflow through it!

That is something!! They check the vertebral veins (I was told at AAC Brooklyn that I had beautiful verts, during the ultrasound) and if there is reflux in the verts, that indicates there may be reflux in the azygous. It's indirect but at least it's information. For Angela to be able to say that you had an azygous with bloodflow through it, she must have been seeing the verts flowing and they have to be flowing somewhere, which is the azygous...I hope I've got this right.

Cece ...

this furthers our discussion of "cold feet" and the azygous being important - be it nerve pathways (blossom's argument) or flow (my argument) impacting it. Maybe it's BOTH.

Because you mention the autonomic (I think and am too lazy right now to research what it's really called) nerve system ... well that could be easily impacted by the vertebrals (look at the way nerve pathways go - then look how they line up with different veins (jugulars, vertebrals, azygous)) ... IF the backflush through the azygous impacts the vertebrals ... no only are the drainage problems true, then also the nerve pathways impacted by CCSVI become true.

So ... an open or azygous may impact both ... either positively or negatively. Thus, the statements we've been seeing lately, that the azygous is a huge player.

Plus haven't I seen that veins lower down affect those higher up? (maybe it was t'other way) Does this mean azygos can affect jugulars, or does the heart being between mean that that pairing is different?