Here are the images that Dr Liu has used to determine that I need surgery as soon as he can arrange it. He indicated that there is likely significant pressure in my head, due to the collateral veins that have formed and that it is likely I am having both high and low pressure due to a spinal CSF leak. I am still trying to decide if I can even make the trip for surgery. Things are just so bad and seem hopeless.
I can see you have significant collateral veins just looking at the pictures you posted. I’m suprised at the level of compression & the length of your styloids since you’ve already had surgery on one side. I’m so sorry more wasn’t done during that surgery to at least relieve some of the compression.
I continue to believe that once you get good blood flow back through your brain, your dementia symptoms will abate, & you’ll be able to think more clearly & live more normally. If you also have TOS (I recall you mentioned TOS a while ago) that will likely need to be taken care of later to give you the most complete symptoms reduction.
I hope you’re able to see Dr. Liu for surgery. I’m praying for God to make a way for that to happen. ![]()
The left styloid was completely removed but the vein did not open. He said the left side has nearly no flow and the right just barely any. My concern is that if I am going to survive, the headaches have to stop and I have no idea if the headaches are from this or the dystonia or the abnormal pet scan. There biggest concern is going through another surgery, and I can’t have the anesthesia he needs to use, and this not fix the headaches. That would be it for me.
Have you already had surgery to decompress the veins? Which side? As I understand it, you had the surgery on the left side (there’s no styloid process there, and your transverse process of C1 was shaved a bit). And did they resect muscles such as the digastric, stylohyoid, and styloglossus muscles? Who performed the surgery? Did the symptoms go away, or do they still remain? Regarding the veins. Collateral veins are good. We need your DICOM images (Google drive here or or via email filatovtech***gmail***com______). This is necessary to assess the most affected area and rule out compression lower in the neck.
The IJV on the left is not open, possibly due to a small jugular opening in the skull (foramen jugulare), or hypoplasia or thrombosis of the transverse venous sinus, or compression of the m. rectus capitis anterior. Or because the compression is lower.
If only the veins are taken into account, decompression of one side is sufficient. It is necessary to choose the side that does not have developed collaterals (emmysar veins, vertebral veins, the hypopoplasmic side of the transverse venous sinus is visible on MRI or on CT) . This is the law of hydrodynamics, if there is severe compression in the C1 region and collateral veins on the same side are not developed, blood stagnation /low blood flow in the transverse venous sinus / in the cerebellar part of the brain, etc. (vertebral veins and emissary veins. By the way, part of the vertebral veins runs next to the vertebral artery, and if you have a ponticulus posticus/ accurate fenomen ponticulus/Kimmerly, part of the vertebral veins will shrink in the opening/ring. Perhaps for this reason, some patients with Kimmerly receive relief. At the same time, it is very important that there is no compression in another place lower in the neck, on the same side where surgery is planned. And the other side may be partially compressed or strongly compressed, but it may have developed venous collaterals and it does not need to be operated on (about the veins).Here I wrote about the connection between the laws of hydrodynamics and veins. But I do not know if your illnesses (Alzheimer’s or dementia or multiple sclerosis) are related to poor blood flow through your veins.
As for the nerves, it’s more difficult to understand there, I’m currently thinking about how to get CT or MRI confirmation.
Dr. Hepworth did the left side in 2024 and no he did not touch any of the muscles. He removed a 6 cm styloid all lymph nodes, a ligament and shaved the c1. I got worse after the surgery. They do not know why my PET scans look just like Alzheimer’s but I do not have it or Lewy body. However, I failed a dementia test a few weeks ago and I am almost to the point I cannot function both cognitively or physically. Dr. Liu said he had never seen a PET scan result like mine but he and his collogues are suspecting that Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases may actually be started by Atlantostyloid jugular Venus compression syndrome. I know I have TOS on my left side and I suspect the other dark area on my right jugular further down is also a compression.
I was only shaved for C1, and the muscles weren’t touched (no removal). The problem is fibrosis/soft tissue scarring. And all the symptoms returned after 2–3 weeks. Can you send the DICOM CT files via Google Drive? Can you share dicom CT? google drive here Google drive here or or via email filatovtechgmailcom______)
Dr Aghayev has proposed a link between IJV compression and dementia:
Praying that you do find the strength to go if this is the right path for you ![]()




