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A cerebral shunt is a device permanently implanted inside the head and body to drain excess fluid away from the brain. They are commonly used to treat hydrocephalus, the swelling of the brain due to excess buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Diagram demonstrating surgical placement of a VP shunt used to manage NPH. For suspected cases of NPH, CSF shunting is the first-line treatment. The most common type used to treat NPH is ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, which drain CSF fluid to the peritoneal cavity. Adjustable valves allow fine-tuning of CSF drainage.
When catheter drainage is permanent, it is usually referred to as a shunt. There are many catheter-based ventricular shunts that are named for where they terminate, for example, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt terminates in the peritoneal cavity, a ventriculoatrial shunt terminates within the atrium of the heart, etc.
Resistance to traditional analgesic pharmacological therapy may also be a sign of shunt overdrainage or failure. [47] Following placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt there have been cases of a decrease in post-surgery hearing. It is presumed that the cochlea aqueduct is responsible for the decrease in hearing thresholds.
An external ventricular drain (EVD), also known as a ventriculostomy or extraventricular drain, is a device used in neurosurgery to treat hydrocephalus and relieve elevated intracranial pressure when the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the brain is obstructed.
The treatment of choice in NPH is ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery (VPS). This treatment needs a VP shunt, which is a catheter with a valve aiming at implementing a one-way outflow of the excessive amount of CSF from the ventricles. It is obligatory to have patency control because of some possible complications such as infections and obstruction.
Getting the ventricles smaller, is the initial step, stabilising them is the second step before placing a shunt – which is the final step in therapy. Any variation from this formula can lead to an ineffective, yet patent shunt system, despite a low-pressure setting.
Description: Diagram showing a brain shunt. Date: 30 July 2014 (released by CRUK) Source: Original email from CRUK: Author: Cancer Research UK: Permission (Reusing this file)This image has been released as part of an open knowledge project by Cancer Research UK.