Neurosurgery
Shunt surgery for hydrocephalus
Shunt surgery is in some cases the only way to resolve hydrocephalus. It should be said that the shunt does not cure hydrocephalus, but allows you to adapt to life with a disease or malformation accompanied by hydrocephalus. Thanks to this surgery, the negative effects of hydrocephalus on brain function can be avoided or minimized, and the child can be allowed to grow and develop. In most cases, the shunt is placed for life.
The essence of shunt surgery is to provide drainage or discharge of excess cerebrospinal fluid (liquor) into other body cavities. The shunt device allows removal of liquor without allowing excessive changes in intracranial pressure and without disturbing the water-electrolyte balance in the human body. The operation is performed under anesthesia. The shunt is installed in such a way that the entire system is placed under the skin, i.e. it is not visible from the outside.
Technologically, a shunt is a system of tubes, valves and reservoirs made of a special areactive medical material. One end of the shunt (proximal) is placed in the ventricle of the brain, the other end (distal) - in the place of “discharge” of excessive cerebrospinal fluid, where this fluid can be absorbed. The valve system allows automatic regulation of the intensity of the discharge of the liquor and prevents its backflow.
Types of shunts:
- Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. The distal end of the shunt is plunged into the patient's abdomen, where excess liquor is absorbed. It is the most common type of shunt.
- Ventriculo-atrial shunt. Connects the cavity of the lateral ventricles of the brain with the cavity of the right atrium. It is the operation of choice for pathologic processes in the abdominal cavity.
- Less common variants:
- Ventriculo-pleural shunt. Connects the ventricular cavity of the brain to the patient's pleural cavity.
- A shunt connecting the ventricles of the brain to the gallbladder or bladder.
What problems do patients with shunts face?
- The shunt lumen may become obstructed (clogged, blocked) by brain tissue fragments, blood clots, etc.).
- Infection may develop in the shunt
- The end of the shunt may become displaced
- The shunt may break
Each of these options leads to shunt malfunction, which negatively affects the patient's condition and requires urgent replacement of the shunt or change of its location.
According to statistics, about 40% of shunts require replacement within the first year after placement, 60% within the first five years and 80% within 10 years after placement.
What are the symptoms that indicate a shunt malfunction?
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Back pain (with vertebral malformations)
- Impaired swallowing and speech
- Impaired sensation or function of a limb
- Convulsions.
Signs of shunt infection:
- Increased body temperature
- Pain
- Redness of the skin at the shunt site
- Abdominal pain
- Detachment from the skin incision site.
Operations to install a shunt for hydrocephalus are performed in leading multidisciplinary clinics in Germany and Israel. Modern equipment and highly qualified staff will minimize the risk of possible complications, which will allow the shunt system to serve as long as possible. The conditions of stay, including co-parental rooms, will make the treatment as comfortable as possible.
If you have any questions, please contact MedicalExpert specialists. We are ready to provide you with up-to-date and reliable information on the installation of shunts for hydrocephalus. Our specialists will help in organizing an extramural consultation with leading doctors of neurosurgery centers in Germany and Israel. Second opinion service is available.
