CALGARY — Five Calgary patients with multiple sclerosis suffered serious complications after travelling abroad to undergo a controversial treatment for their illness, according to a new study.
Neurologists at the University of Calgary predict a wave of MS sufferers will inundate local emergency rooms with problems prompted by the so-called "liberation therapy" and challenge doctors to provide adequate care.
Increasing numbers of Canadians have travelled outside the country for the treatment after Italian researcher Paolo Zamboni reported in 2009 that inserting surgical stents in the veins that drain blood from the brain alleviated the symptoms of the disease.
While Zamboni reported no operative or post-operative complications, the new research — authored by Dr. Jodie Burton and seven University of Calgary colleagues — details the cases of five patients who showed up in Calgary hospitals last year with moderate to severe problems after travelling to Eastern Europe, Mexico, India or the United States to receive the therapy.
"We caution patients and MS care providers to be aware of the risks associated with these interventions and be vigilant for complications," the study says.
The medical problems documented by the Calgary researchers in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences article published Tuesday included stent migration, cranial nerve injury and thrombosis of both the brain and jugular.
In one case, a 26-year-old man who went to India for the treatment ended up with worsened MS symptoms, persistent cervical pain and permanent nerve damage after oversized stents were inserted in his neck veins.
"Whether or not care providers agree with patients pursuing such treatment," the study says, "we have to continue to provide care to our patients, be mindful of potential risks, and continue to develop strategies to monitor and manage these patients as their numbers increase."
The province's health department announced funding last month for a $1-million study that will document and track the experiences of MS sufferers who have received the treatment to determine its safety and help with decision regarding followup care.