Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts in Children: Factors Affecting Shunt Survival

Abstract

The survival of ventriculoperitoneal cerebrospinal fluid shunts inserted during the past 11 years at the University of Rochester was reviewed. Half the shunts inserted failed by 23 months after insertion, although shunt survival has improved since 1981. Shunt survival was found to be affected by etiology. For example, children with neural tube defects had longer shunt survival than children with hydrocephalus from other etiologies. Children whose shunts were inserted prior to their first birthday, and children whose shunts were inserted when they weighed less than 3,000 g, had worse shunt survival. The manner in which factors such as age, weight and etiology affect shunt survival are uncertain, yet it is clear that children with hydrocephalus are a heterogeneous group. Studies that fail to consider this heterogeneity may result in invalid conclusions.