Kidnapped from Marc's site, the Wheelchair Kamikaze http://www.wheelchairkamikaze.com/
This doc explains a great deal about the science and lack of science still existing around the CCSVI thing. He does say venoplasty is very safe (stents ARE NOT), but he doesn't address any problems caused by repeated venoplasties. he also explains some of the structural difficulties in diagnosing CCSVI as versus regular venous functioning. It's well worth a listen.
For my money, I still don't understand the why. When the doc here says he has no evidence that the stenosis is correctly diagnosed and there is further, no evidence that it has any relationship to brain disease, why does he then say it's okay to do it?
My older brother is a gastroenterologist. When he joined his new practice, he was reprimanded for not using the fancy diagnostic machines as much as they had budgeted him to do - he deals with children and prefers to be as non-invasive as possible. But his partners weren't happy, because in order to pay for the fancy machines, they had to thrust x number of patients through it. I can't help but feel suspicious that some of the eagerness in for profit centres to do this procedure has to do with this pushing to use expensive machinery. A good bunch of we MS patients, demanding treatment, must make these places sing with joy and order a new set of post-its. (I worked in the non-profit sector and lemme tell you, a new order of post-its, even the cheapie copies, meant there was excess money in the budget - otherwise we reused photocopied paper, torn in fourths).
I keep hear the phrase, follow the money.....yep, the drug companies have had a healthy chunk of it up til now, and you bet the other sectors of the health care system would sure love to have a handle on a source of money such as we provide. Especially if we have to be re-plunged frequently! Wahoo! and get those Jaguar keys, Macie, we're going for a ride....
Sorry. End of year cynicism. It'll pass. Til then, Happy New Year All, and Never ever get a stent in your neck veins, okay? It's dangerous.
No comments:
Post a Comment