Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 2014 , Vol 24 , Num 3
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Dysfunctions in Childhood
İsmail GÜLŞEN1, Hakan AK2, Mehmet ARSLAN1, Abdulsemat GÖKALP1, Enver SÖSUNCU1, Nejmi KIYMAZ3
1Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Beyin ve Sinir Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı, Van, Türkiye
2Bozok Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Beyin ve Sinir Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı, Yozgat, Türkiye
3Akdeniz Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Beyin ve Sinir Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı, Antalya, Türkiye
AIM: The aim of the current study was to discuss shunt dysfunctions in children younger than 15 years of age who had undergone ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery, together with the revision surgery rates, and the causes under the light of the literature.

MATERIAL and METHODS: The hospital records of 173 children younger than 15 years of age who had undergone ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery at the Dursun Odabaş Hospital of Yüzüncü Yıl University between January 2011 and December 2013 were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS: We found that shunt dysfunction had developed in 75 of the 173 patients within a period of 1-36 months (average 8 months) and 117 shunt revisions were performed in these patients. The causes of shunt dysfunction were ventricular catheter occlusion in 56 patients (48%), shunt infection in 48 patients (41%), shunt peritoneal edge obstruction in 12 patients (10%), and subdural eff usion due to overdrainage in one patient.

CONCLUSION: We believe that appropriate shunt selection, appropriate usage of prophylactic antibiotics, and showing the necessary care during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods will decrease the complications related to shunt dysfunctions. Anahtar Kelimeler : Hydrocephalus, Shunt dysfunctions, Ventriculoperitoneal shunt