Shunt - ventriculoperitoneal; VP shunt; Shunt revision

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medications
• Problems breathing
• Changes in blood pressure or breathing rate

Risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Possible risks of ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement are:

• Blood clot or bleeding in the brain
• Brain swelling
• The shunt may stop working and fluid will begin to build up in the brain again.
• The shunt may become infected.
• Infection in the brain
• Damage to brain tissue
• Seizures

Images

Craniotomy for cerebral shunt

Ventricles of the brain

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Ventriculoperitoneal shunting Overview

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Ventriculoperitoneal shunting Recovery

Review Date: 11/22/2010
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, MD, Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)