Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 2005 , Vol 15 , Num 2
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Dysfunction
Burak O. BORAN, Gökhan KIZILÇAY, Mustafa BOZBUĞA
Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi 2. Nöroşirürji Kliniği, İstanbul OBJECTIVE: Despite the constantly evolving shunt technology, 70% of shunted patients encounter shunt dysfunction within 10 years. The aim of this paper was to retrospectively review the patients who had undergone ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery in our clinic to analyze the rate of shunt dysfunction with the guidance of the literature.

METHOD: Fifty patients who had undergone ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery for hydrocephaly in the last 3 years were reviewed retrospectively. The average follow-up time was 18.3 months.

RESULTS: Thirteen of the 50 patients had experienced shunt dysfunction within an average of 54 days following the first surgery. Three of the 13 patients re-experienced shunt dysfunction after the second surgery within a period varying between 1 day and 4.5 months. The overall shunt dysfunction rate in this series was 32%. Distribution of the cases was as follows: ventricular catheter dysfunction in 4 cases, peritoneal catheter dysfunction in 6 cases, over-drainage in 2 cases, and shunt infection in 4 cases.

CONCLUSION: Despite all the above complications, shunt surgery is still the first choice of treatment in patients with hydrocephalus. Thus, the target should be finding ways to lower the rates of shunt dysfunction. Anahtar Kelimeler : Complication, hydrocephalus, ventriculoperitoneal shunt