A survey of the first complication of newly implanted CSF shunt devices for the treatment of nontumoral hydrocephalus

Abstract

The results of an international multicenter study concerning the first complication of newly implanted cerebrospinal fluid shunts in nontumoral hydrocephalus are the subject of the present report. The authors have collected information on 773 cases from four continents. In particular, the following data were evaluated in relation to the general incidence of complications recorded in the first follow-up year: the patient's age at the operation, the etiology of hydrocephalus, the type of CSF shunt device used, and the modality of the surgical procedures. The overall complication rate in the series was 29%. Age and etiology of hydrocephalus appear to play a major role in influencing the complication rate; on the other hand, the choice of a specific CSF shunt device seems to be less important in this respect.