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The Wade-Dahl-Till (WDT) valve is a cerebral shunt developed in 1962 by hydraulic engineer Stanley Wade, author Roald Dahl, and neurosurgeon Kenneth Till. [1] [2] In 1960, Dahl's son Theo developed hydrocephalus after being struck by a taxicab. A standard Holter shunt was installed to drain excess fluid from his brain.
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).
Each of the types of shunts listed above can be composed of a tube or catheter and various types of valves, although they can just be composed of the tubing or catheter. Below is a list of valves that are used in lumbar–peritoneal shunts (LP shunts) and Cerebral shunts (for a more detailed list of the types of valves see type of valves): Delta
One of the common causes of subdural hygroma is a sudden decrease in pressure as a result of placing a ventricular shunt. This can lead to leakage of CSF into the subdural space especially in cases with moderate to severe brain atrophy. In these cases the symptoms such as mild fever, headache, drowsiness and confusion can be seen, which are ...
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the brain, potentially leading to brain damage and death. It is corrected by a shunt which drains excess CSF from the brain to the abdomen. Shunts fail, typically by obstruction – a life-threatening medical condition requiring the surgical replacement of the shunt.
A shunt has risk of infection and failure for which subsequent surgery is needed. Complications of ETV include hemorrhage (the most severe being due to basilar artery rupture), injury to neural structures (e.g. hypothalamus , pituitary gland or fornix of the brain ), and late sudden deterioration. [ 3 ]
The EVD is a foreign body inserted into the brain, and as such it represents a potential portal for serious infection. Historically, the rate of infections associated with EVDs has been very high, ranging from 5% to > 20%. [10] [11] Infections associated with EVDs can progress to become a severe form of brain infection known as ventriculitis.
A craniotomy is a surgical operation in which a bone flap is temporarily removed from the skull to access the brain.Craniotomies are often critical operations, performed on patients who are suffering from brain lesions, such as tumors, blood clots, removal of foreign bodies such as bullets, or traumatic brain injury, and can also allow doctors to surgically implant devices, such as deep brain ...