Affiliations: Department of Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Medical
Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan | Department of General Surgery, Postgraduate Medical
Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan | Department of Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Medical
Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Mumtaz Ali, Department of Neurosurgery,
Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan.
Tel.: +92 345 9283415; E-mail: hamzakmc@gmail.com
Abstract: To assess various complications in children with hydrocephalus after
ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. This descriptive study was conducted in the
Department of Neurosurgery, Lady Reading Hospital and Al-Ibrahimi Hospital,
Peshawar, Pakistan, from September 2005 to April 2007. A total of 86 children,
48 male and 38 female patients, with male to female ratio of 1:1.3 were
included. Age range of patients was from 2 months to 13 years with mean age of
4.3 years. Seventy-nine cases were operated electively while seven cases
operated in emergency due to poor clinical condition. Shunt malfunctioning due
to obstruction of upper end was noted eight cases (9.3%), shunt infection in
seven (8.1%) cases, seizure four (4.7%) cases, paralytic ileus in five
(5.8%) cases, shunt extrusion per rectum in two (2.3%) cases, bilateral
subdural hematoma in three (3.5%) cases, hydrocele and shunt erosion in two
(2.3%) cases each. Two (2.3%) deaths were recorded in the study, which
was not related with the surgery or with shunt complication. It is concluded
that various complications may develop during and after ventriculoperitoneal
shunt surgery. Shunt malfunction and infection are main causes for its failure
and poor prognosis, although a list of other rare possible complications can
also be expected.
