Frequency of Complications after Paediatric Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Surgery for Management of Hydrocephalus: An Observational Cohort Study

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of complications after paediatric ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery for management of hydrocephalus.
 Materials and Methods: An Observational Cohort Study was conducted from 19th March, 2020 to 18th September, 2021 at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan. Total 150 patients of both genders, aged between 1-18 years diagnosed with hydrocephalus were selected. Shunted patients operated for other pathologies of brain and spine and those with more than 3 shunt revisions were excluded. Based on the clinical findings and investigations, a final diagnosis was made and the treatment in individual cases was planned accordingly. Post-operatively all the patients were followed up till 6 months and any complication which occurred was documented.
 Results: Age range in this study was from 1 to 18 years with mean age of 7.50 ± 4.22 years. Majority of the patients 74.0% were between 1 to 10 years of age. Out of these 150 patients, 85 (56.67%) were males and 65 (43.33%) were females with male to female ratio of 1.3:1. Shunt blockade was seen in 36 (24.0%), Shunt malfunction in 21 (14.0%), Shunt infection in 48 (32.0%) and Shunt migration in 23 (15.33%) patients.
 Conclusion: This study concluded that ventriculoperitoneal shunt in children with hydrocephalus is not free of complications and should be monitored and managed properly to reduce the complications.