Hello everyone, my name is Diego.

I’ve been living with a rare condition for about 14 years; I’ve only recently discovered what it is, and in order to get back on my feet, I need to undergo neurosurgery abroad.

The little-known condition in question is called CCSVI; it isn’t that rare in itself, but my particular variant is. CCSVI stands for Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency: a condition affecting the venous drainage of the brain and spinal cord. Under normal conditions, deoxygenated blood laden with waste products flows through the venous system from the brain towards the heart. When this ‘drainage system’ is compromised, there is an increase in intracranial pressure, leading to a build-up of toxins within the central nervous system.

In my specific clinical case, the cerebral venous drainage system is obstructed by bilateral extrinsic compression of the internal jugular veins, caused by an anatomical conflict between the styloid process of the temporal bone and the transverse process of the atlas; this conflict is also associated with the vascular variant of Eagle’s syndrome caused by atlanto-styloid compression.

The hospital abroad where I will undergo surgery is located in Istanbul and is led by Dr Kamran Aghayev and his team.

The surgical procedure I am due to undergo consists of a complete styloidectomy, resection/reshaping of the transverse process of the atlas (C1 vertebra) and decompression of the adjacent soft tissues. As it will be performed bilaterally, it is effectively two operations in one.

I have posted a video on my Instagram profile in which I talk about the fundraising campaign; here is the link to the video.

Thank you for your attention, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s willing to support me.