National health body bans use of LVA surgery to treat Alzheimer's

China's top health authority has banned the use of a minimally invasive surgical procedure that connects neck lymphatic vessels to adjacent veins to enhance the brain's lymphatic clearance system for treating Alzheimer's disease.

The National Health Commission said in a notice released on Tuesday that it has recently learned that some medical institutions are providing lymphaticovenous anastomosis, also known as LVA surgery, on patients with the debilitating disease of Alzheimer's and has carried out assessments of its safety and efficacy.

"Our evaluation concludes that there is a lack of evidence from preclinical studies in the use of LVA surgery for Alzheimer's disease treatment," it said.

"The procedure remains at an early stage of clinical research, with its indications and contraindications yet to be clarified and there is insufficient medical or health economic evidence attesting to its safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness," the commission added.

Local health authorities should instruct medical institutions to halt treating Alzheimer's disease with LVA surgery and guarantee proper follow-up care for affected patients.

"When sufficient preclinical evidence is collected, qualified medical institutions can carry out clinical studies under the full deliberation of ethics committees," it added.

LVA surgery has been primarily used to treat lymphedema, a disease that can cause an accumulation of fluid and painful swelling in limbs.

The technique's potential in treating Alzheimer's disease — a condition linked to a buildup of toxic proteins in the brain — builds on the notion that by making a connection between a lymphatic channel and a vein, the clearance of cerebral metabolic waste will be enhanced and thus progression of the disease will be slowed down.

The Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing said in an article released in June that it has successfully performed the LVA surgery on an 80-year-old with severe cognitive impairment.

She was unable to recognize her family members and relied entirely on others for daily activities.

"After undergoing the surgery, the elderly patient has showed significant improvements in memory. She can not only accurately say relatives' names and occupations, but also engage in daily conversations," said the hospital.

A municipal hospital in Lu'an in East China's Anhui province said last month that it had carried out over 50 LVA surgeries on Alzheimer's disease patients. A hospital in Dalian, Liaoning province, said that the procedure costs about 20,000 to 30,000 yuan ($2,750 to 4,130) out-of-pocket there but is priced at over 200,000 yuan at some hospitals.

According to an article released by neurologists from Renji Hospital in Shanghai in the peer-reviewed journal General Psychiatry, no other country has reported clinical applications or clinical trials of LVA for Alzheimer's disease treatment so far.

"The increasing adoption of LVA surgery highlights the urgent demand for effective Alzheimer's disease treatments. Patients and their families are desperate for more effective treatments, as illustrated by the proliferation of this unproven treatment in China," it said.

China has nearly 17 million people living with dementia, with Alzheimer's disease being the most prevalent condition.

The number of people suffering Alzheimer's disease is estimated to reach 19.1 million by 2030 and 27.7 million by 2050 as the nation is aging rapidly.