What is a Ventriculoperitoneal shunt used for?

A VP shunt is used to drain extra cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from your brain. CSF is the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord. It’s made in the ventricles (hollow spaces) inside your brain. CSF protects your brain and spinal cord by acting as a cushion.

What are the 2 types of shunts?

The different types of shunts used most commonly include ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, ventriculoatrial (VA) shunts and lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts (Koutoukidis et al. 2016).

How is a Ventriculoperitoneal shunt inserted?

A shunt consists of a ventricular catheter that is connected to a valve and then connected to a distal catheter. The distal end of a VP shunt is placed in the peritoneal cavity. The main differences between shunts are the type of valve used, and whether the valve is programmable or not.

How long does a Ventriculoperitoneal shunt last?

Shunting is successful in reducing pressure in the brain in most people. VP shunts are likely to require replacement after several years, especially in small children. The average lifespan of an infant’s shunt is two years. Adults and children over the age of 2 may not need a shunt replacement for eight or more years.

What is the recovery time for a shunt?

It usually takes 1 to 2 hours. After the surgery, you will probably stay in the hospital for 2 to 7 days and need to take at least a week off from work. But how long you take off from work depends on the type of work you do and how you feel. You can do all of your normal activities with the shunt in place.

What is a shunt from the brain to the stomach?

A shunt is a tube that drains the cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) from the ventricles in the brain to another space in the body, which reabsorbs the fluid. Most often the abdominal cavity (the space around the stomach and intestines) is used. The shunt’s small, soft tubing is placed, or tunneled, under the skin,…

Where is a VP shunt located?

A VP shunt is a hollow tube with two openings, one on each end. One end of the tube is positioned underneath the skull, inside the ventricles.

What is ventriculoatrial shunt placement?

Ventriculoatrial shunt placement enables cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to flow from the cerebral ventricular system to the atrium of the heart. This procedure is indicated for hydrocephalus , which is among the most common conditions encountered in neurosurgical practice.

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