Choice of valve type and poor ventricular catheter placement: Modifiable factors associated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure.

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion is a common neurosurgical procedure, essentially unchanged in recent years, with high revision rates. We aimed to identify potentially modifiable associations with shunt failure. One hundred and forty patients who underwent insertion of a VP shunt from 2005-2009 were followed for 5-9years.

Factors affecting the accuracy of ventricular catheter placement.

Despite technological improvements, ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts are still often complicated by malfunction, predominantly with proximal catheter obstruction. There is evidence that accurate placement of the ventricular catheter is significantly related to shunt survival. To identify possible risk factors that might lead to suboptimal shunt placement, we retrospectively reviewed the demographic data and radiological scans of 141 patients who underwent a VP shunt operation from 2005 to 2008 at our institution.