For some time now, CCSVI, or the “Liberation Therapy” shed a light of hope and started controversies in the MS community.
The highly controversial procedure that was pioneered by Italian doctor Dr. Paolo Zamboni, is based on the assumption that MS is not an autoimmune condition, but rather a vascular one. According to his theory, blocked veins in the neck are causing the many of the symptoms people with MS experience, and through a simple procedure, the veins are opened and thus relief is brought to MS sufferers.

However, the procedure is approved for MS treatment in a small number of countries, and the medical system doesn’t pay for it, which means that the MS sufferers who want to undergo this procedure pay out of their own pockets the medical intervention, other hospital bills, accommodation and travel expenses.

This is where Waterloo based Liberation Gateway company comes into play.  President, Lou Dietrich, started this company to facilitate MS patients who want the procedure.  He says that he’s still amazed when he sees and MS patient improve overnight after the procedure. “If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t believe it,” he said.

At the same time, there are MS societies in Canada and US that are funding research to see if CCSVI really works. Susan St John, executive director at Waterloo District Chapter of the MS Society of Canada said that “we’re really working hard to find out, […] the evidence at this point is anecdotal”.

However, most MS patients don’t have the time and patience to wait for this treatment to be cleared by the government, so they take the matter into their own hands, travelling to the countries where the procedure is performed. Liberation Gateway facilitates this.

Trough Lou Dietrich’s Liberation Gateway, the cost is $12,500, including the treatment, accommodation and hospital fees. However, flight expenses are not included into the above mentioned amount.  The procedure is performed in India, New Delhi, by Dr. Pramod Kumar, a renowned cardiologist.

Patients who underwent the procedure experience relief immediately after the procedure is completed. However, this doesn’t mean that their MS is cured – but their symptoms are alleviated, which helps them live and enjoy life better.

Andrea White already had the procedure through Liberation Gateway’s help, and now, after two months, she’s more than happy with the improvements in her condition. “I’m doing very well,” White said. “I’m happy with my progress. I didn’t expect that I’d be back running marathons,” she furthermore added.

But what happens with people who underwent the procedure once they come back home?

Dietrich is currently doing research on what can be done for patients retuning home, this way, making sure that the procedure’s benefits are maximized. “You can either fight the system or you can go around the system,” Dietrich said. “I think it’s very noble that there are MS patients fighting for this cause.”