LACOMBE, Alta. - A former Alberta mayor has been appointed to lead a provincial government committee charged with reviewing all aspects of service for people with multiple sclerosis.

Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky appointed Judy Gordon and assistant deputy minister Susan Woods to co-chair the committee.

Gordon retired Monday as mayor of Lacombe and was diagnosed with MS three years ago while a member of the legislature for Lacombe-Stettler.

The review includes analyzing the implications of approving and funding a procedure known as liberatio, or chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency surgery.

The surgery has not been approved for MS patients in Canada, but many people travelled to foreign countries to have it done for thousands of dollars.

Gordon is not considering the controversial surgery right now.

She said she hopes to include an independent analysis of the costs of the surgery and the potential benefits of making it available in Canada rather than have Albertans spending thousands of dollars to have it done in other countries.

The analysis would track results from people who have had the procedure, including details of their symptoms before and after the surgery, she said.

The need is particularly pressing in central Alberta, which has an unusually high rate of MS, said Gordon. She could not elaborate, however, since the most recent statistics are from 2004.