Complications of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts in Children with Pediatric Hydrocephalus a Local Study at Benha University Hospitals

Abstract

Ventriculoperitoneal shunting is the main way used for extra-thecal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. Despite being the main corner stone of treating different types of hydrocephalus, VP shunts has unfortunately a lot of complications making surgeries to treat these complications much more than initial shunt insertions.Methods:It is a clinical retrospective observational study that was conducted on 221 patients wth congenital hydrocephalus of both genders with age ranging from 0 to 18 yrs old who came with symptoms and signs of shunt complications and were primarily shunted at Benha university hospital between 2016 and 2019. A complete clinical assessment was done, history taking, a final diagnosis was made, and a treatment of individual patients was planned accordingly. Patients were followed up till the end of the study post-operatively. Data was analyzed using the SPSS (version 16.0). VP shunt was inserted for 221 patients. 113 (51.1%) patients had various forms of complications. Obstructive complications accounts for the most common complications as they happened in 48 (42.5%) of complicated patients followed by infective complications as they appeared in 27 (24%) patients.Conclusions: Despite .great revolution in the field of neurosurgery in the past 100 years and sincere efforts from neurosurgeons worldwide , shunt complications still common among shunted patients.Background Hydrocephalus is regarded as an imbalance in the formation and absorption of CSF to a sufficient magnitude producing accumulation of CSF fluid with in ventricular system of the brain leading to an elevation of intracranial pressure. Compensatory adjustments especially in very young subjects may occur that may reduce prevailing CSF pressure to normal range on count of functioning brain tissue [1]. Hydrocephalus is the second most common congenital brain malforma-tion [2].Congenital hydrocephalus is type of hydrocephalus that is present or its underlying cause at birth. majority of cases are attributed to aqueductal stenosis , chiarri malformation , dandy walker malformation ,arachnoid cyst. approximately 55% of all cases of congenital hydrocephalus are due to Primary aqueductal stenosis whereas aqueductal stenosis secondary to neoplasm, infection, or hemorrhage accounts for another 5% [4]. Till now , the standard treatment of hydrocephalus is ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The technique of using the peritoneal cavity for CSF absorption in ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) was developed by Kausch in 1908 [3]. Al- though VPS insertion is the most common neurosurgical Procedure done worldwide, complication rates in Children are high ranging from 10% to 100% [11]. The advent of endoscopic third ventriculostomy has gained popularity due to the high complication and failure rates of ventriculoperitoneal shunt [12]. VP shunts are prone to a lot of complications such as mechanical blockage, shunt infection, shunt migration, and various abdominal complications[13].