What is CSF shunting?
Placement of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunt systems to treat hydrocephalus is a common medical procedure and a life-saving treatment for many patients. These shunt systems drain excess fluid from the brain to another part of the body where the fluid is absorbed as part of the circulatory process.
How long does a CSF shunt last?
It is difficult to predict how long shunts will last, but some practitioners note that about half of all shunts need to be revised or replaced after 6 years.
Where is a CSF shunt placed?
The long catheter is placed under your skin, behind your ear, down your neck, and into your abdomen. As the VP shunt drains extra CSF and lessens the pressure in your brain, it may ease some of your symptoms. Some symptoms will stop right after the VP shunt is inserted.
How is a brain shunt placed?
A brain shunt is a narrow piece of tubing that is inserted into the brain in the fluid-filled ventricle. The tubing is then passed under the skin into another area of the body, most often into the abdomen. Occasionally, the shunt tubing can be placed into one of the chambers of the heart or the lining of the lungs.
What are the side effects of a brain shunt?
Shunt infection
- redness and tenderness along the line of the shunt.
- a high temperature.
- headache.
- vomiting.
- neck stiffness.
- tummy pain if the shunt drains into your tummy.
- irritability or sleepiness in babies.
What is the most common shunt?
The most common shunt systems are:
- Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. This type of shunt diverts CSF from the ventricles of the brain into the peritoneal cavity, the space in the abdomen where the digestive organs are located.
- Ventriculoatrial (VA) shunts.
- Ventriculopleural (VPL) shunts.
- Lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts.
What are brain shunts made of?
Shunts are made of soft, flexible tubing about 3mm in diameter. A shunt is inserted into the body by a neurosurgeon while the patient is under a general anaesthetic.
How does a Medtronic shunt work?
Shunts typically consist of two catheters and a valve that redirect excess fluid from the brain’s ventricle to another part of the body. A Medtronic shunt, which is usually implanted in less than an hour, can provide lasting relief to people with hydrocephalus.
What is an adjustable CSF shunt system?
An adjustable CSF shunt system for the treatment of communicating hydrocephalus and for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri). Properly sized and accessorized, the system offers valve adjustability in a lumboperitoneal configuration.
How does a shunt work for hydrocephalus?
They’re part of a shunt system used to treat the symptoms of hydrocephalus. A shunt redirects excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain to another part of the body, allowing the brain’s enlarged ventricles to return to a more normal size.
Where can I find MRI guidelines for Medtronic neurological shunts?
To find complete MRI guidelines for all neurological shunts and other Medtronic Neurosurgery products, visit the MRI Resource Library and search by model number or product name. Access more information about Medtronic neurological shunts.