Alternative Ventricular Peritoneal Shunt Anchoring Method in Pediatric Patients with Chhabra Shunt System

Object: The author reports his experience using the Chhaabra Slit n Spring shunt system SH202 in pediatric patients in Ethiopia using connectors at the entry point of the shunt into the ventricle to anchor the system without anchoring suture. Placing an anchoring suture is often difficult in very young pediatric patients because of a lack of available tissue. This alternative was therefore developed.

Presented at the 21st Meeting of the Surgical Society of Ethiopia at the African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 3, 2017.

Methods: The consecutive results of patients was retrospectively studied from 10/7/2014 to 9/21/2016 in 76 patients. Follow-up ranged from 26 months to 3 months through December 2016. Most the patients were 6 months of age or less (49) while (16) were between 6 to 12 months and (11) were greater than 1 year of age.

The ventricular catheter was connected to a straight connector which was connected to silicone tube which bent at the entry into the brain. The silicon tube proximal end was connected via connector the shunt valve. All connections were secured with 2-0 silk. Otherwise the procedure is as described by B.C. Warf in J Neurosurg (Pediatrics 4) 102:358–362, 2005. Complications were 7% shunt revision , 4% minor wound revision, and 5% shunt infection.

Conclusion:This alternative method of anchoring the shunt without suture compares favorably with other previous reports of the Chaabra shunt system. There were no intraventricular migrations or migrations out of the ventricle as has been reported in the literature. When revision was necessary it was slightly more complicated than with the ventricle single connector setup but still could be accomplished without too much effort. Longer follow-up is necessary to more fully evaluate this alternative.

PDF of slide presentation

sse2017-shunt-proftony