Insights in Neurosurgery

Post-Operative Complications of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Children at Neurosurgery Department Allied Hospital Faisalabad

Objective: Hydrocephalus is the most common pediatric neurosurgical condition, with a high prevalence in low- and middle-income countries. Untreated, hydrocephalus leads to neurological disability or death. The epidemiology and outcomes of hydrocephalus treated by ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts in Pakistan still are not well defined and vary by region and class. The aim of this study was to determine the post operative complications of VP shunt in children presented to Department of Neurosurgery in Allied Hospital Faisalabad

Study Design: Retrospective cross sectional observational study

Place and Duration of Study:

Department of Neurosurgery Allied Hospital Faisalabad from June 2019 to July 2020

Methodology: A total of 52 children were included in this study through OPD and Neurosurgical emergency by non probability sampling. All the children were gone through CT brain and MRI brain before VP shunting.

Results: Thirteen(13) 25% patients were presented with complications. Out of 13 patients 10 children were presented with infection 77% , two(15.4%) with malfuncting of shunt and 01(7.6%) patient with mal positioning . The mean number of surgeries performed on these patients were 1.6 %. All of these patients with these complications were identified with in 1 week after surgery.

Conclusion: Infection was the most common complication. The infection rate was proportional to the length of hospital stay. All patients with hydrocephalus due to tumors or myelomeningocele presented complications. A higher incidence of infections was observed in children older than 2 years.

Author(s):

Mian Awais

Abstract | Full-Text | PDF

Share this