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[Sean J. Pittock, M.D., Chair, Department of Neurology]
Mayo Clinic has a very long tradition of providing excellent care for patients with multiple sclerosis. In fact, we were very much involved in some of the very early research that was done in the disease, but we've also been leading the field, in terms of practice, in terms of providing care for patients.
[Eoin P. Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch., Neurologist]
We see about 3,500 patients a year, and we have great expertise in ensuring that we have the correct diagnosis and we know which treatment is best for which patient.
So I think coming here and getting that treatment correct at the start is very important.
[Dr. Pittock] Patients that come to the Mayo Clinic become part of the answer in terms of the research that's going on at the Mayo Clinic, because the Mayo Clinic has the largest biorepository of MS and autoimmune neurological disorders in the world.
[Dr. Flanagan] There are many patients out there who come to Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic is their last hope.
We can really control MS much better than we used to be able to.
[Dr. Pittock] Well I think the future is bright.
We've made dramatic advances.
We now have drugs that reduce the chances of a clinical relapse by 98.5%.
That's pretty amazing.
[Dr. Flanagan] We know that multiple sclerosis can affect a lot of parts of the nervous system ranging from vision, to walking to bladder, stiffness, cognition.
We can measure nerve damage.
We can treat things like muscle stiffness or spasticity.
Mayo Clinic can offer a lot for patients in new diagnosis, but also in patients with an established diagnosis, maybe with some damage that we can ensure that we can manage all of those symptoms excellently. And that's where our multidisciplinary care really is a distinguisher for us.
[Dr. Pittock] You don't just see a neurologist, you see a multitude of different individuals, all of whom have specialty experience within the care of multiple sclerosis patients.
[Dr. Flanagan] It's the neurologist talking to the physical medicine rehab team, talking to the ophthalmologist, talking to the urologist to come up with the best plan for the patient.
[Dr. Pittock] We're working with physiatrists.
We're working with people that work in bio-electronics to try and develop approaches that we can use to not only stopping the progression of the disease, but restoring function.
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