HYGEIA: Individualized Monitoring for MS Patients

19 October 2017

New Multiple Sclerosis & Demyelinating Disease Department

The new HYGEIA Hospital Multiple Sclerosis & Demyelinating Disease Department is offering individualized services for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system.

Irrespective of the stage and severity of the disease, patients enjoy an individualized approach in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Both the patient and the doctor jointly decide on the strategy to best combat the disease, addressing the patient’s needs and forging a relationship of trust, which is necessary when managing a chronic ailment.

The Head of the HYGEIA Hospital Multiple Sclerosis & Demyelinating Disease Department, Mr Konstantinos Spengos, noted, “Regular individualized monitoring of MS patients is necessary for satisfactory clinical progress. The essential aims of such long-term monitoring include: early detection and treatment of possible disease relapses, individualized selection of the most suitable pharmaceutical treatment, vigilance for the development of possible complications and side-effects, responsible updates and support to patients and their families, and cooperation with colleagues from other specialties in caring for, preventing and treating such problems that may affect the everyday lives of patients.

MS prognosis has improved significantly in the last 20 years, with the establishment of immunomodulatory treatments. The constant development of newer medications has permitted individualized treatment administration and better control of patient progress, significantly reducing the number of relapses and limiting the development of disabilities. This ensures better quality of everyday life in the long run, along with functionality and autonomy for patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. It is a chronic disease that usually affects young individuals for life. It is estimated that some 13,500 people in Greece have been diagnosed with MS, with 75% of them following special pharmaceutical treatment regularly. It is also estimated that more than 500 new MS cases are diagnosed in the country annually.