Minimally invasive ventriculo-atrial shunt for hydrocephalus.

Objective: To study the therapeutic effect of mini-traumatic ventriculo-atrial shunt on hydrocephalus.

Methods: Seventeen patients were treated with right internal jugular venepuncture intubation to finish minimally invasive ventriculo-atrial shunt for hydrocephalus. The patients were evaluated by CT/MRI. The catheters were deployed at the proper position in the right atrium under X-ray fluoroscopy.

Results: The hydrocephalus in all the 17 patients eliminated with this surgical procedure with a 100% success rate technically. The operational duration ranged from 0.75 to 1.5 h (average: 1 h). Mistaken puncture into the internal carotid artery as a complication occurred on 1 case.

Conclusions: The mini-traumatic ventriculo-atrial shunt, as a novel minimal invasion technique, has the advantages of small trauma, no influence on local blood circulation, short time and simplicity at operation, rapid healing, and good short-term effect. Moreover, it is suitable for those patients with organic dysfunction.