MS Society cautions against experimental surgery
Posted May 20, 2010 03:12:32 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society is happy for the Nova Scotia man who received preliminary successful results from the surgery he went to Poland for, but they’re also expressing a cautionary note.
“There are so many unanswered questions at this point that we really aren’t in a position to say ‘by all means go out and get this done’ because we don’t have the answers,” says Dena Simon with the Atlantic division of the MS society.
The procedure, discovered by an Italian doctor, is called the Liberation Technique. It clears blockages in the jugular vein that seem to have an impact on MS. It is not available in Canada.
Wolfville’s Chris Alkenbrack says a number of his MS symptoms subsided after he had the procedure done at a private clinic in Poland.
Simon says she’s happy for Chris but also says it’s too early.
Meanwhile Gary Greer of Cole Harbour was diagnosed with MS a decade ago. His mobility continues to get worse and Alkenbrack’s news gives him pause for thought.
“It makes me think a lot more about it, that’s for sure, because it sounds like his level of disability was kind of similar to where I am,” says Greer.
His concern is that people are cashing in their life savings to do something like this and are not guaranteed results. Greer is on a fixed income and says he couldn’t afford such a trip which cost Alkenbrack $15,000.
