At Synergy Health our goal is not only leading patient care in CCSVI, but also complete transparency into your care. For this reason, we have compiled our most Frequently Asked Questions below.
Patient questions are usually broken down into 5 categories:
Travel and Consultation
How do I contact your center?We can be reached at: (949) 221-0129, toll-free at (877) RX-CCSVI, or by email at [email protected]. Our dedicated staff for CCSVI patients will help facilitate your tests, consultation, and procedure.
Where is your center located?Our center is located at 4501 Birch St., Newport Beach, CA, 92660.
How do I schedule an appointment with Synergy Health for my CCSVI procedure? Setting up an appointment with us is easy! Just follow the simple steps on our Scheduling Page. Once you have submitted your form, one of our CCSVI coordinators will contact you within 24-48 hours to confirm a day and a time for your procedure.
Is there a wait list for CCSVI surgery at your center? No. Due to the number of physicians performing the CCSVI procedure and the number of locations where we can treat patients, there is no wait for the procedure. All patients can have an appointment as early as 7-10 days from contacting our office. Most patients can get this confirmed appointment for their consultation and their procedure within 24-48 hours by following the steps on our scheduling page.
Why should I choose Synergy Health? Synergy Health is the only CCSVI group in the country with two Board Certified Phlebologists who specialize in the treatment of venous disorders. In addition, our ability to provide you with a high quality diagnostic MRV, the Haacke protocol MRI if desired, and treatment by one of our board certified, fellowship trained physicians all within one group at our center, is beneficial to your care. Plus, scheduling your appointment with us is easy. Just complete the intake form and we will contact you within 24-48 hours.
How long will I be in Southern California for the consultation and the procedure? We can usually schedule any diagnostic tests such as an MRV on the morning of your consultation. The results can be reviewed with you in the afternoon during your consultation and your procedure will be on the following day. We also ask that you remain in our area for 36-48 hours after the procedure. This ensures that you are available for any follow-up the day after your procedure. Thus, most patients will be in Southern California for about 4 days.
Do you schedule my travel and accommodations for me? Synergy Health has partnered with a International Health Care Providers which can help facilitate all of your travel needs if desired. You are not obligated to use their services but it is available to you. While completing your intake form, if you wish to use their services, simply select that option and your contact information will be forwarded to them so that they may contact you.
Which hotels in your area do you recommend? We have partnered with the Hyatt Newport Beach to provide complementary accommodations to our patients. You can visit our accommodations page to learn more about this exciting new service!
Do either of the hotels offer ground transportation? For patients who would like help with ground transportation, we recommend working with Pacific Transportation Solutions (see below). Although you are not obligated to use their service, we feel that it provides a level of service which helps minimize the stress of ground transportation while with us in Southern California.
How should I get from the airport to my hotel and to my appointments? Synergy has partnered with Pacific Transportation Solutions to provide ground transportation during your stay in Southern California. If you wish to use their services, please visit their website for more information: http://www.pacifictransportationsolutions.com/. If you do chose to use their service, we will automatically forward all of your appointment times to them so that you are assured of seamless service while you are here.
Another physician has treated me but I think my symptoms have come back. Can you help me? Continuity of care can have benefits to you and your overall health. However, if you want to transfer your care to another physician or seek a second opinion at our center, you may contact our office.
Do you treat patients from outside of the United States? Yes. We have been treating patients from Canada as well as from other countries around the world.
Pre-Procedure
What tests do you require before I get treated?We require an MRV prior to your treatment. If you do not have one you may schedule it with us the morning of your consultation.
I’ve had an Ultrasound (doppler) done of my veins, do I still need an MRV? In rare circumstances, our physicians may accept only an ultrasound before treating you. However, this is unusual. Having an MRV prior to your procedure allows both you and the physician the ability to not only document the size and function of your venous system, but also to evaluate the iron stores within your central nervous system. This cannot be done with an ultrasound.
I’ve had an MRV at a location outside of your center but I would like be treated by Synergy Health. Can you still treat me? Yes. However, we require either the report from your MRV and/or the CD of your images before we can see you for a consultation and treat you. You may send your report via e-mail to: [email protected] for one of our physicians to review to ensure that you are a candidate for treatment. We also encourage you to send a copy of your CD to our office address listed above, Attn: CCSVI Patient Coordinator.
How can you perform the MRV in the morning and have the results in the afternoon? I heard that it takes Dr. Haacke 2-4 weeks to complete his evaluation of the MRI data? We agree. For Dr. Haacke to review the data from your MRI it will take 2-4 weeks. However, we do not need the complete Dr. Haacke protocol to determine whether you have blockages in your veins. The evaluation for blockages only takes a short period of time after the MRI is completed.
Do you require me to have the complete Dr. Haacke protocol when I have my MRV? We encourage all patients to have the complete Dr. Haacke protocol when having their MRV, but it is not required. We feel this will help in following the results from your procedure and allow us to quantify any changes in your symptoms over time.
I’ve heard that the Dr. Haacke protocol is difficult to reproduce. If I chose to have the Haacke protocol how do you ensure that I’m getting the correct information for Dr. Haacke to review? We have one of only two physicians in the country who have personally trained with Dr. Haacke to learn each of the different images (sequences) that he requires to completely evaluate your MRV. This ensures that your test will be the highest quality for Dr. Haacke to review.
How much does an MRV with your facility cost? Depending on whether you choose to have the complete Dr. Haack protocol, the price will vary. When you contact our office we will be able to give you pricing information for the MRV studies.
Procedure
What does the typical procedure include?The procedure includes the venographic evaluation of the jugular, azygos, vertebral, and lumbar veins. Treatment typically involves venoplasty of the jugular veins and the azygos vein.
Do you use stents? Stents may be used, but are seldom needed, especially at the first treatment. All of our physicians are well trained in stent placement in the rare case a stent is needed.
Do you use ‘drug-eluding’ balloons or stents? The use of drug-eluding stents and balloons have been in practice for many years for a variety of indications. However, in CCSVI, the cause of blockages inside the vein is completely different from heart disease and other artery diseases. The proper treatment of vein blockages in CCSVI is to tear the valve open which causes a permanent fix of the blockage. The use of drug-eluding devices is contradictory to the etiology of the disease process in CCSVI and is thus, completely useless.
Do patients have to take blood thinners after the procedure? To help prevent blood clots from forming inside of the veins after the procedure, all of our patients are placed on a blood thinner after the procedure. The blood thinner that we use is called Pradaxa and will be given to you at the time of your consultation. For patients who have a stent placed, Pradaxa will be prescribed for a longer period of time. There is an additional cost associated with your Pradaxa (please see “Costs” section below)
How long will I be in Southern California for the consultation and the procedure? We can usually schedule any diagnostic tests such as an MRV on the morning of your consultation. The results can be reviewed with you in the afternoon and your procedure will be the following day.
Do I need to stay overnight in the hospital or is this an outpatient procedure? Your procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. This means that you will check-in in the morning, have the procedure, and be allowed to leave our center after the procedure and after you meet our discharge criteria.
Where will my procedure be performed? We perform all of our procedures at our medical center in Orange County, CA.
Are your facilities and centers ‘accredited’? The vascular center where we provide CCSVI treatments have been used by our group for many years, specifically for endovascular procedures. These centers have each been designed and built to specialize in venograms, angiograms, angioplasties, and stenting. Our centers are not required to have a designated accreditation like hospitals so there is no formal ‘certificate’ or ‘accreditation’.
If there was an emergency, do you work at hospitals in your area or just at your vascular centers? As a private group specializing in a wide range of treatments and diseases, we have active privileges at several area hospitals. We provide both inpatient and outpatient services at these hospitals on a daily basis.
How long do I need to stay in Southern California after my procedure? We ask that you stay in the immediate area for 48 hours after the procedure.
What tests do you order for follow-up? We recommend an annual Haacke MRV.
If you don’t order any follow-up tests, how do you know if I have re-blocked my veins? At this time we are following patients based on their response to treatment. Specifically, if a patient improves after the procedure, and then loses those improvements months later, we would discuss your options with you at that time.
Costs
How much does treatment cost with your group? Treatment cost for patients who have not been treated previously is $8000.
What does your fee include? Our fee includes ALL costs associated with the procedure. This includes the hotel stay while in Southern California, the consultation prior to your procedure, the procedure itself, and any follow up visits with our physicians after the procedure. The procedure includes all nursing, medications, anesthesia, materials (not including stents), recovery time, and facility charges. The only other cost is for Pradaxa, the blood thinner which is required after the procedure. There are no other hidden costs!
How much does the Pradaxa cost? We have negotiated the best pricing available with a local pharmacy to provide the first month of Pradaxa for $261. Your Pradaxa will be available for pickup in our office at the time of your consultation.
What services are not included in your $8000 fee? The only services not covered by our fee are those for a pre-procedure MRV, Pradaxa, and stents if used. All payments must be in US Dollars.
Do you have your fees posted for your patients? Yes. You can click on our Financial Responsibility Form to review our fee structure. There are no hidden costs associated with your procedure.
Why do you charge separately for stents if they are used? The Physicians at Synergy Health use stents very infrequently during the course of treatment for CCSVI. Therefore, to help keep costs down for all of our patients, we only apply the extra costs associated with stents for the patients who require them instead of charging all patients a higher price in case a stent is used. We hope that you understand that this benefits all of our patients in keeping costs as low as possible for everyone.
Does my insurance cover treatments for CCSVI? Your insurance may cover your treatment costs depending on your specific carrier. Please contact our office for details regarding your exact insurance.
I have insurance in the U.S. Do you bill my insurance for the procedure or do I have to pay out of pocket? Due to a number of factors, patients are required to pay for a portion of the procedure up front. After your procedure, our center submit your claim to your insurance carrier. Co-pays may be required prior to the procedure which our office can discuss with you in detail once your insurance is verified.
How do I pay for the procedure? We accept certified checks as payment for the procedure. Patients wishing to use a credit card, may contact their credit card company to obtain a cash advance for a check. All payments must be in US Dollars to be accepted by our office.
When do I have to pay my procedure fee? A $1000 deposit is required at the time you are scheduled for your procedure, which is a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit. If this deposit is not made, your procedure time will not be confirmed. This is for the benefit of all of our patients and helps avoid cancellations and delays in other patients’ care. If you need to re-schedule your procedure with us, your $1000 deposit is applied to your future appointment. The remaining portion of your charges are due at the time of your consultation.
Why do I have to pay a deposit when I confirm my procedure? As a service to all of our patients, we require a $1000 deposit to secure your consultation and your surgery date. Patient cancellations only create a delay in care for all of our patients. Thus, preventing these cancellations allows each patient to be treated as soon as possible. Unfortunately, without this deposit, your confirmed consultation and surgery slot not be secured and will immediately be given away to another patient. We hope that you understand that this policy benefits all of our patients, including you.
Can I pay with my Health Savings Account (HSA)? Yes. You can withdraw money from your HSA and use that money for a certified check.
Synergy & CCSVI
How long have you been treating patients with CCSVI? We have been involved with CCSVI patients for more than a year and a half. Our group’s professional diversity is uniquely suited for CCSVI patients and is comprised of Interventional Radiologists, Phlebologists and Vascular Surgeons. We are the first group to treat CCSVI patients in Southern California.
How many CCSVI patients have you treated? We are a clinical practice and do not have a running tally of patients that we have treated. However, our practice performs more than 20 central venograms, angioplasties, and venous stents a day and is one of the busiest venous practices on the West Coast. We have performed more CCSVI procedures than anyone in North America. CCSVI procedures account for a significant number of our central venous interventions.
May I speak with patients you have treated? We cannot give out information about patients in our practice. However if you personally contact one of our patients they may be inclined to discuss their experience with us. We have also developed a ‘CCSVI Testimonials’ page where we have posted some of our patients feedback to us. In addition, some patients share their experience via the Internet. Several popular websites are listed on our ‘CCSVI Links’ page.
Is there a wait list for treatment with your group? There is no wait list at Synergy Health. We have multiple physicians who are seeing patients and who perform CCSVI procedures.
How many venograms and angioplasties have you done? Each of the physicians at Synergy Health have been treating central venous occlusive disease for years, long before the discovery of CCSVI. Each of our physicians has performed thousands of central venograms and angioplasties for blocked veins for a variety of different diseases. This extensive experience helps allow us to be the leader in the treatment of CCSVI.
Why should I choose Synergy Health? Synergy Health is the only CCSVI group in the country with two Board Certified Phlebologists who specialize in the treatment of venous disorders. In addition, our ability to provide you with a high quality diagnostic MRV, the Haacke protocol MRI if desired, and treatment by one of our board certified, fellowship trained physicians all within one group at our center, is beneficial to your care. Plus, scheduling your appointment with us is easy. Just follow the steps on our scheduling page.
I’ve read that you are affiliated with other centers in the country or with other centers in Southern California? There have been recent online postings about new centers opening across the country and in our area of Southern California including Downey CA. Some of these centers are listing Drs. Harris, Hewett and Arata as part of their staff. Our physicians are only doing CCSVI procedures at our private center in Orange County, CA and not at centers in Downey or other locations across the country. Contacting our center directly through any of our contact numbers listed at the top of this page, will ensure that you are treated with the experience and expertise that you expect.
Are your physicians ‘Board Certified’? Yes. Each of our physicians is Board Certified in their respective fields. In addition, since Synergy Health specializes in venous diseases, we have two physicians who are also Board Certified in Phlebology, the study of veins.
Have your physicians had ‘fellowship training’? Yes. Each of our physicians has completed a fellowship in endovascular procedures. Since endovascular techniques are the ones used in the treatment of CCSVI patients, we feel fellowship training is very important to ensuring expert care for our patients.
Are you using the ‘Zamboni Method’ for treating the veins? Yes. We perform venograms on both of the jugular veins and the azygos vein to check for any blockages just as Dr. Zamboni did in his study. We then treat any abnormalities that we find just as Dr. Zamboni has done.
Do you have an ‘IRB’? Yes. The procedures which we are performing on patients (venogram and angioplasty) has been in use for many decades. All devices and medications are FDA approved. Because endovenous angioplasty and stenting are established and safe techniques their application to the venous obstructions seen in the jugular and azygos veins is not experimental. We do not know if treating these types of blockages will have any benefit for patients with MS. Symptoms such as fatigue, headache, insomnia, impaired cognition, disturbed balance etc. are often present in patients with blockages of the jugular or azygos veins and appear to respond well to angioplasty.