China bans popular Alzheimer’s disease surgery pending clinical studies

Beijing has banned a surgical treatment for Alzheimer’s disease that has been carried out in almost 400 hospitals across China, but has left open the possibility that it could be re-evaluated after rigorous clinical trials.

The procedure, known as lymphatic-venous anastomosis (LVA), involves connecting the patient’s lymph vessels to veins near the neck to speed up the flow and drainage of lymph fluid. The aim is to boost the removal of harmful brain proteins and slow the disease’s progression.

The surgery has grown in popularity, particularly over the past year, since it was first performed in 2021 by a microsurgery expert from a private hospital in Hangzhou, in the eastern province of Zhejiang.

Based on publicly available information, an estimated 382 hospitals across almost all Chinese provinces had performed the procedure by the end of June.

However, in a notice on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said the therapy was still in the exploratory stage of clinical research, with indications and contraindications yet to be clearly defined.

“There is a lack of high-quality medical evidence supporting its safety and efficacy,” the notice said. The procedure has been prohibited for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, pending further clinical studies.