AN Inverness woman left virtually housebound after suffering from MS has had a miraculous turnaround in her life after pioneering treatment abroad.
Since diagnosis over 15 years ago, multiple sclerosis sufferer Audrey Barnett (40) has endured limited walking ability, severe fatigue and dizziness.
But within hours of treatment, she says a serious eye problem was corrected and her balance also improved. She believes the surgery has made "an amazing difference" to her life, enabling her to resume driving for the first time in two years and horse riding after five years.
Audrey, who featured in the Highland News after launching a campaign calling for further research into the operation, underwent the percutaneous venoplasty procedure – privately at a cost of £7,500 – last September in Warsaw, Poland.
The op aims to improve blood flow from the brain by using a small inflatable balloon or stent to widen narrowed veins in the neck which carry oxygen-depleted blood. It is believed there could be a link between narrowed veins and the progression of MS.
It is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults. Around 100,000 people in the UK have it.
Audrey has recently spoken to Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander about the procedure.
And another MS sufferer, her friend Anita Duffy (46), of Milton of Leys, has been inspired to follow in her footsteps.
Audrey said: "I spoke to Danny Alexander who was very interested and amazed at the difference the treatment has made to my life.
"Anita is about to go to Poland for the same op. Her mum, a very experienced nurse, was so impressed with how well the treatment had worked she asked me about it, researched it and thought it made perfect sense and worth a try."
Now Audrey is celebrating after the treatment is a step closer to being offered on the NHS.
In early 2010, Audrey launched a petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to encourage urgent research into the surgery.
Clinical trials now look set to take place in the UK and she hopes it will mean other patients will benefit in the future.
Audrey, of Underwood Place, Balloch, said: "The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced they want clinical trials to take place in the UK. It means all the hard work by lots of us throughout the country is finally paying off.
"NICE has opened a four-week public consultation to hear from people who have had the treatment. It’s likely to be as long as five years after the start of trials before the treatment becomes readily available, but that’s much better than we were expecting. I’m delighted."
Following a public meeting last month, NICE proposed in its draft guidance the procedure should be used to research whether it can impact patients’ quality of life.
The NICE committee will review consultation comments, hold another public meeting in October and publish its final guidance for the NHS in December.
