KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti doctor and academic has urged the Ministry of Health to take the necessary steps to launch a research program to investigate the possibility of venous catheterization being helpful in treating Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms. Speaking during a seminar held at the Arab Media Forum headquarters in Yarmouk on Monday evening, Assistant Kuwait University Professor Dr. Tariq Sinan said that the catheterization procedure is completely safe, with very few risks.

It only takes around 15 minutes, and it reduces the [MS] symptoms drastically," he said, adding that neither the health minister or his deputy have suggested that the procedure should be completely stopped. "All they said is that we should hold back a little bit until we are sure this procedure is safe, and I agree with them," he explained.

Dr. Sinan explained that Multiple Sclerosis is an incurable disease that usually occurs in young adults, which is caused by an as-yet unexplained condition, wherein the human immune system attacks nervous system. It occurs more in females than male, and its symptoms include visual problems, fatigue, muscle weakness and other nervous system related symptoms.

So far there is no known cure for this fatal disease," said Dr. Sinan. "There was, however an experiment by an Italian doctor that found a correlation between many symptoms of the disease and narrowed neck veins, and many of those symptoms can be removed by a simple procedure to widen the neck veins." In many cases where this procedure has been carried out, he said, patients' conditions improved enormously.

Amira Al-Mashhoody, a Kuwaiti woman with MS, was extremely positive about the treatment's benefits, telling the Kuwait Times, "We were so desperate to find a solution for our problem that we were constantly browsing the internet and following all the research about MS round the world. We found out that this was done in Poland, and that the results were amazing," she said.

Al-Mashhoody, who is the vice president of the Kuwaiti MS Patients' Association said that after finding out about the amazing results of this procedure, a number of association members visited Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Muzaini, who formed a team of doctors consisting of Dr. Sinan and Dr. Hussain Safar, who visited the health minister and explained to him that the procedure is safe, simple and extremely beneficial.

After receiving the permission of the minister to carry out the procedure, doctors needed someone to volunteer to be the first neck catheter recipient in Kuwait, with Amira Al-Mashhoody decided to volunteer herself.

I used to be very depressed, angry, and my life was miserable," said Al-Mashhoody, "I wasn't able to do anything alone, and my daughter used to help me dress, but right after the procedure I felt that my arms and legs were warmer, and I was able to dress myself alone and leave the room without help.

She continued, "Since then, and until the ministry's decision to halt these procedures, 12 Kuwaiti patients have gone through the catheterization process and they're all in great shape and feeling much better than they used to.

Muna Al-Musairea' was one of the 12 patients who went through the procedure. She said that during the catheterization operation, she was asking the doctors whether the level of lighting in the room had been turned up because her vision improved immediately.

A neurologist was standing next to me, and he said that he didn't believe what I was saying!" she noted. Dr. Sinan noted that many neurologists don't believe that vein width is related to MS symptoms, explaining that this disagreement was the reason behind the ministry's ordering the suspension of the catheterization procedures.

They asked to stop these 'operations' until thorough research is carried out to prove their safety, and their effects on patients' health," he said. The prominent doctor added that doctors on both sides are concerned about the patients' wellbeing, emphasizing that differences of opinion between doctors don't necessarily mean that one party is wrong and the other is right.

Dr. Sinan asserted that the MoH is expected to approve the launch of a research program into the benefits of venous catheterization in MS treatment within the next few days. He urged the ministry to issue its decision on the matter and form the necessary investigative committee as quickly as possible.

Time is always working against MS patients and, in some cases, the damage is completely irreversible, so delay in this regard will cost many people part of their lives," he stressed. - Kuwait Times