The expert panel was created by the end of 2010 together between the CIHR and the MS Society of Canada. It has been proposed that the creation of this expert panel was partly directed to cope with the high levels of social pressure the CCSVI theory had raised and at the same time try to maintain a scientific perspective in the funding and investigation of CCSVI. The main task of the panel was to monitor the results of the ongoing studies in the relationship between CCSVI and MS and recommend the funding of a clinical trial in case that there was evidence of a true relationship between the two. In 2011, the Canadian federal government announced that they would fund clinical trials of the procedure to widen the veins since CIHR considered that evidence of venous abnormalities in MS was enough for small treatment trials. It has been proposed that the recommendation to fund phase I and II trials instead of a big study was a compromise between the high levels of social and political pressure and the low level of evidence on the theory.Two qualitative studies have investigated the motives and experiences of Canadian patients traveling abroad to get the "liberation procedure".
The study, a phase II clinical trial designed to evaluate safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment, enrolled initially 10 patients that received the treatment and 20 more afterwards that were either allocated to receive angioplasty or a placebo intervention.Kuwait became the first country in the world where treatment of CCSVI, as of 2010, was explicitly allowed by the medical authorities and paid by the state health system. As of 2010, the procedure was performed privately in 40 countries, and, despite existing recommendations, as of 2013 it is believed that over 30,000 patients have undergone the procedure. Procedures
Balloon angioplasty and stenting have been proposed as treatment options for CCSVI in MS. The proposed treatment has been termed "liberation therapy" though the name has been criticized for suggesting unrealistic results.Balloon angioplasty in a preliminary, uncontrolled, unblinded study by Zamboni improved symptoms in MS in a minority of treated people. Although the procedure pushes the vein open temporarily, the effect does not persist, supporters advise against using stents.Venous percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) has proven to be safe but due to its ineffectiveness is not recommended. Adverse effects
While the procedure has been reported to be generally safe for MS patients, severe complications related to the angioplasty and stenting that have been reported include intracranial hemorrhage, stent migration into a renal vein, thrombosis and nerve compression syndrome of cranial nerves XI and XII. One death case appeared in the scientific literature, while 3 other deaths have been related to CCSVI treatment in the media.