Ventricular Peritoneal Shunt

Normal Anatomy

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bathes the brain and spinal cord. Most of the CSF is located in the ventricles of the brain, which are large cavities in the brain that produce the CSF.

In hydrocephalus, the ventricles of the brain become enlarged with cerebrospinal fluid. This condition causes the brain tissue to compress against the skull, causing serious neurological problems.

There are numerous causes for hydrocephalus depending on the age group. In adults, common causes including bleeding inside the ventricles, infection (eg. meningitis), tumour causing obstruction, etc. In children, there are other rarer congenital causes. In the elderly, a condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus may require a ventricular peritoneal (VP) shunt.

Procedure

• Shunting, also called ventriculo-peritoneal shunting, is necessary in order to drain the excess fluid and relieve pressure in the brain
• A catheter is inserted into the brain to drain CSF from the ventricular system into the abdominal cavity while the patient is deep asleep under general anaesthesia