COMPLICATIONS IN THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCEPHALUS IN CHILDREN

Abstract
Two homogeneous materials of hydrocephalic children operated upon during a 20-yr period (1961-1980) are compared. During the 1st half of the period the ventriculoatrial shunt was the only type used in 103 patients. After that there was a change to the ventriculoperitoneal shunt which was used in 104 patients, where 35 were converted from ventriculoatrial to ventriculoperitoneal shunts. The material consists of 172 patients. The complications were less serious and the mortality rate much lower with the ventriculoperitoneal method. The revision rate was about the same for both types of operation, but the revisions and the operative procedure for peritoneal shunts were generally much more simple and more rapidly performed. In children the ventriculoperitoneal route is preferable to the ventriculoatrial route. With better knowledge of the underlying cause of distal obstructions in the former route it will probably be possible to reduce the complication and revision rates even further.