Question... how does it work going to poland? I have read about EUROMEDIC who are they? Do they set up everything for you like transportation, hotel, and the Dr. Or does the Dr.'s office do this? I'm from the US and it seems like we are really lagging behind on this CCSIV treatment. Poland seems like it might be the best option. Your thoughts?
- Jeff
Jeff, I originally contacted Dr. Simka at the Euromedic clinic and arranged things with him in early December just before the big rush started. Since then they have been inundated with requests and all inquiries should go to info@euromedicpoland.com. Euromedic is a private medical company with several offices in Europe. Since a lot of us "high maintenance" patients from North America are coming over, and because the actual assessments and procedures are done in several different local hospitals in and around Katowice, they have instituted a one-price for assessment, procedure, hotel room, trips to the hospitals - you organize your own airfare, but they meet you at the airport and take of all local transport. As well, since a few of the first few patients left without ever paying, they now ask that we send the money ahead of time (with a refund if the entire testing/procedure sequence isn't carried out). The Euromedic clinic I am going to in Poland is booked until well into 2011, but they are opening up another clinic soon, so it wouldn't hurt to ask to be put on a waiting list. With at least 200 CCSVI patients done so far, Euromedic has the most CCSVI treatment experience in the world.
At least one other Polish organization (AMEDS) will be assessing and treating people in the next while (if they haven't already started). Other options are in Bulgaria and India. So far I haven't heard too much good or bad about these other options, though the two clinics in India sound like they may be pricier than what is being charged in Poland and Bulgaria.
Other CCSVI testing and treatment options ARE starting to open up in the US (Georgetown University, Dr. Mehta in Albany, and others), though it is still a small number compared to the demand. If your situation is such that your MS is not bad and not getting worse quickly, it might be worthwhile waiting or, as some have done, working on your local vascular surgeons and/or interventional radiologists to interest them in looking into this and perhaps getting CCSVI assessment and treatment training. In the end, if CCSVI is truly as important to MS treatment as it seems to be, assessment and treatment centers will have to open up in North America, and fairly soon.
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Ted, Thanks for your response. Good luck in Poland, wishing you the best. We will be looking for updates after you get back!
ReplyDeleteHi Jeff
ReplyDeleteYou can also try to go through Surgical Tourism of Canada and go to India -- there is a first group of 8 Canadians there this week for treatment -- and based on their results, the CEO at Surgical Tourism has said they will start booking more surgeries. The all-inclusive price tag is around $25K CAD but that's for you and a caregiver who can take care of you. You can find out more at http://www.surgicaltourism.ca or you can read about some of the the people going to India at my blog at http://for-greet.squarespace.com.
Regarding Poland, I've heard that the GREAT Dr. Simka is booked until the end of 2011, but that may just be rumour. Two Canadians were there - two brothers - this past week and they are doing REALLY WELL -- see http://evanthornton.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/back-from-surgery to find out more about their experiences, but the long and the short of it is it was worth the $10K they each paid for the operations.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and hope you join CCSVI groups on Facebook or start to be radical about this yourself.
Best of luck,
Colleen