Procedure w/ Dr. Sclafani 4/1/11
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 5:48 am
Thanks to Dr. Sclafani and all his staff for their kindness during my husband’s treatment in Brooklyn on 4/1/2011.
A little background – My husband was diagnosed in 1975 at the age of 26. The year before he had ON, but when diagnosed his leg was dragging and he was losing arm strength. He has received many treatments including ACTH and prednisone during the years when he was RRMS and he always bounced back without any deficits. Mid 90’s he started Betaseron and the last three years he has been on Tysabri. The mid 90’s brought SPMS and he has slowly declined. Major decline has been in his ability to walk, constant back pain, numbness in legs (below knees) and feet, feels like he is walking on balls, terrible leg spasms, and most recently bladder issues. He has tremendous arm strength. Don’t know what we would do if he didn’t.
Procedure - Bill received his ultrasound on 3/31/2011 from a very nice Tech in Dr. Scalfani’s office and was told that he had reflux in both internal jugular veins. Procedure was performed on 4/1/2011 but not without difficulty. Dr. S said Bill was his toughest case to date. The RIJV was narrowed and he was able to open with good flow. The left had a flap at J2 (or was it J1) closing it off and had no flow. He was able restore some flow to the LIJV. Dr. S said that Bill has very large IJVs. I had noted - 20mm right and 18mm left. The other veins were not checked. This was a very long procedure and there were issues that developed with the sheath and balloon that gave Dr. S a great deal of stress and my husband a great deal of pain. (Dr. Scalfani - If I have stated anything incorrectly, please feel free to correct me). I will add more when I receive the written report.
What has changed? - Almost immediately the constant pain in that one spot on the left side of his back that he has had for 15 years, subsided. Bill said it is reduced by 50%. We have dealt with numerous pain doctors during the years and this is the best it has felt even with all the pain meds and procedures. The numbness in his legs and feet has also lessened. The feeling of walking on a ball has gone away.
What has not changed? - He still has back pain but on the right side that goes down his hip and leg. This has been pretty bad. He also continues to have the leg spasms. His ability to walk is limited.
He came home with a terrible cold that is dragging him down.
I hope that Bill will not restenose or develop thrombosis or scarring. Only time will tell. Hopefully more will be learned and other veins will be checked. No one can tell us there is no connection. Can you imagine that someone who has felt like they were walking on balls for more than ten years, can have this sensation eliminated with this one procedure?
Again, thanks to Dr. Sclafani and the whole team.
A little background – My husband was diagnosed in 1975 at the age of 26. The year before he had ON, but when diagnosed his leg was dragging and he was losing arm strength. He has received many treatments including ACTH and prednisone during the years when he was RRMS and he always bounced back without any deficits. Mid 90’s he started Betaseron and the last three years he has been on Tysabri. The mid 90’s brought SPMS and he has slowly declined. Major decline has been in his ability to walk, constant back pain, numbness in legs (below knees) and feet, feels like he is walking on balls, terrible leg spasms, and most recently bladder issues. He has tremendous arm strength. Don’t know what we would do if he didn’t.
Procedure - Bill received his ultrasound on 3/31/2011 from a very nice Tech in Dr. Scalfani’s office and was told that he had reflux in both internal jugular veins. Procedure was performed on 4/1/2011 but not without difficulty. Dr. S said Bill was his toughest case to date. The RIJV was narrowed and he was able to open with good flow. The left had a flap at J2 (or was it J1) closing it off and had no flow. He was able restore some flow to the LIJV. Dr. S said that Bill has very large IJVs. I had noted - 20mm right and 18mm left. The other veins were not checked. This was a very long procedure and there were issues that developed with the sheath and balloon that gave Dr. S a great deal of stress and my husband a great deal of pain. (Dr. Scalfani - If I have stated anything incorrectly, please feel free to correct me). I will add more when I receive the written report.
What has changed? - Almost immediately the constant pain in that one spot on the left side of his back that he has had for 15 years, subsided. Bill said it is reduced by 50%. We have dealt with numerous pain doctors during the years and this is the best it has felt even with all the pain meds and procedures. The numbness in his legs and feet has also lessened. The feeling of walking on a ball has gone away.
What has not changed? - He still has back pain but on the right side that goes down his hip and leg. This has been pretty bad. He also continues to have the leg spasms. His ability to walk is limited.
He came home with a terrible cold that is dragging him down.
I hope that Bill will not restenose or develop thrombosis or scarring. Only time will tell. Hopefully more will be learned and other veins will be checked. No one can tell us there is no connection. Can you imagine that someone who has felt like they were walking on balls for more than ten years, can have this sensation eliminated with this one procedure?
Again, thanks to Dr. Sclafani and the whole team.