VP Shunting
Excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain can be surgically drained using a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. When there is an excess of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, a VP shunt can be used to assist drain it. Hydrocephalus is the most common indication for VP shunt placement. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the fluid that bathes and protects the brain and spinal cord.
Hydrocephalus is often treated with a surgical technique known as a VP shunt. When there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain’s ventricles, this condition is known as hydrocephalus. The cerebrospinal fluid acts as a cushion for your brain inside the skull, preventing damage. This fluid not only supplies your brain with nourishment, but it also removes any accumulated waste. The cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) normally travels via these ventricles to the base of the brain. The cerebrospinal fluid circulates through the central nervous system and back into the blood.
When this circulation is impeded, unwanted pressure is exerted on the brain’s tissues, eventually causing damage. Shunts are placed surgically into a ventricle of the brain to redirect CSF away from the brain and back into the body.
A lengthy catheter is inserted beneath the skin from behind the ear, down the neck, and into the belly during this surgery. It is possible that the VP shunt will alleviate some of your symptoms by removing excess CSF and reducing pressure in your head. After a VP shunt is placed, certain symptoms will immediately disappear.
Endoscopic Third Ventriclulostomy
If a child or adult has obstructive or noncommunicating hydrocephalus, they may be candidates for an endoscopic third ventriculostomy. As an alternative to a shunt, endoscopic third ventriculostomy can be performed to provide a bypass for cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Only patients with hydrocephalus due to an obstruction in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid would benefit from this treatment.
When a surgical procedure is described as “endoscopic,” it indicates it is carried out with the use of a tiny tube called an endoscope. The endoscope is a little tube with a lens at one end, a light at the other, and a small hole in the middle through which small tools can be inserted. The most frequent therapy for hydrocephalus is shunting, which entails redirecting the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through a thin silicone tube to another cavity in the body. Human-made devices like shunts have the potential to save lives, yet they are not infallible.
The term “third ventriculostomy” is used to describe the location of the brain where the incision is performed. The bypass is performed through the thin membrane in the bottom (or floor) of the third ventricle because the most common source of blockage is the limited channel between the third and fourth ventricle of the brain.