Any connection between leg vein surgery and ALS?

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Dianee

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Jun 17, 2017
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Reason
Lost a loved one
Diagnosis
04/2017
Country
US
State
PA
City
Kennet Square
I was here a few years ago when my brother in law was diagnosed with ALS and passed away about five months later.
My brother in law had leg vein surgery a couple of times prior to ALS symptoms.
His first ALS symptom was “Drop Foot” in one leg, and he quickly developed weakness in both legs and required a walker…
Within a few weeks he was admitted to an ICU at hospital as his breathing was becoming difficult…He was in ICU
for a month and was finally diagnosed with ALS….While he was in ICU, a nurse told my sister (his wife) that her mother was also diagnosed
with ALS sometime after leg vein surgery…
Of course the leg vein surgery was assumed by me to have been a coincidence until a couple of weeks ago when a friend, who had several leg vein surgeries,
including one recently, was diagnosed with drop foot. After it progressed to severe weakness in one leg, and requiring a walker, she saw a neurologist, who told her she has 90% loss of muscle control in one leg and 50% in the other leg. She was told by this doctor that he couldn’t do anything for her
and she would get worse. Nothing was mentioned about ALS or any similar disease and the only advice she got was to get a second opinion.
She will see another neurologist this week, and I dread what she may be told. Neither I nor my sister have mentioned ALS to my friend, but we
both got the same horrible feeling after hearing her story.
Has anyone else been involved with or heard about ALS developing after one or more leg vein surgeries?
It doesn’t seem to be logical to me that they could be connected, but ALS is a disease of unknowns, and I suppose anything is possible!
 
My father in law passed away from ALS last Friday. He was diagnosed with ALS last September. He had his leg amputated about 10 years ago due to circulation/pain issues that were partially a result of leg vein removal as part of a heart bypass surgery about 25 years ago. I don't consider his ALS to be completely random - I suspect years of surgeries (including on his spine, too) may have played a role.
 
Leg vein procedures are more common as one ages, of course, so it is not surprising that we would find that a PALS (ALS onset peaks in one's 60s) has had one or more. Kevin, I am sorry to hear about your FIL, and Diane, I hope your friend receives another diagnosis.

Best,
Laurie
 
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