One year failure rate for de-novo ventriculo-peritoneal shunts in children from a small volume paediatric neurosurgical unit

Abstract

It is the belief of some that results of shunt surgery for the treatment of hydrocephalus in children are improved if the surgery is performed in high-volume centres. Currently in the UK paediatric neurosurgery is undergoing a service review. As part of this review a set of standards of care are being drafted which state that 1-year failure rates and infection rates for de-novo ventriculo-peritoneal shunts in children should be less than 40% and 10%, respectively. Our de-novo shunt infection rate (4.3%) and our 1-year failure rate (28.6%) are well within the standards set by this process and comparable to published literature from much higher volume centres.

Keywords::

• hydrocephalus
• paediatric shunts
• shunt failure
• entriculo-peritoneal shunt

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.