Vp Shunt Life Expectancy

Shunts are the standard treatment of hydrocephalus but shunts can malfunction and repeated surgery may be needed.

Vp shunt life expectancy. 90 of vp shunt infections present within three months of a shunt operation. Infection in the shunt or brain blood clots. Current methods for diagnosing shunt malfunctions are often invasive and expensive.

The rate of malfunction of shunts in children is estimated to be 40 percent in the first year after placement and 10 percent per year after that. You and your family might be required to take part in the surveillance after a vp shunt procedure. There are rare risks specific to vp shunting that can be serious and potentially life threatening if left untreated including.

Your doctor will recommend post operative precautions and regular medical check ups to detect any possible complications. We retrospectively reviewed all subgaleal shunts placed at the children s hospital birmingham ala usa from 1993 to the present and examined the life expectancy of revisions of this temporary method of csf diversion. The major advantage of this therapy is the restoration of a normal daily life.