Ventriculoperitoneal shunting is surgery to relieve pressure inside the skull due to fluid buildup on the brain (hydrocephalus).

Ventriculoperitoneal shunting is done in a hospital operating room while the patient is under general anesthesia (asleep, no pain). The surgeon makes a cut in the scalp and drills a small hole into the skull.

A shunt is used to remove fluid from the brain to another part of the body. A shunt system is usually made of a thin tube (catheter) and a valve (pump). The catheter is placed into the hole in the skull and passed into a ventricle of the brain. A pump attached to it helps control the flow of fluid away from the brain.

Fluid from the brain area flows through the shunt into the abdominal cavity or in rare cases, into an area in the chest.

This procedure is done to remove excess fluid and reduce pressure in the brain in person's with hydrocephalus or other conditions (such as intracranial hemorrhage) that cause similar symptoms.

Shunting should be done as soon as hydrocephalus is diagnosed to give the child the best possible neurological result.

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medications
• Problems breathing

• Bleeding
• Infection

Risks related to ventriculoperitoneal shunting include:

• Blockage or other problems with the shunt
• Infection

Symptoms of shunt problems or infection include headache, fever, drowsiness, and convulsions.

As with any other brain surgery there is risk to brain tissue, because the shunt catheter must pass through brain tissue to enter the ventricle. There is a small risk of brain tissue being damaged, resulting in a neurologic deficit.

The outcome for the surgery itself is good, but depends on the severity of the condition and the patient's overall health. Other conditions such as spina bifida, brain tumor, meningitis, encephalitis, or hemorrhage can affect the outlook.

The health care team will closely monitor the patient's vital signs and the shunt to make sure it is working correctly. A CT scan or other imaging test is usually done after the surgery to confirm that the shunt is in the right place and that the hydrocephalus has gone away.

Antibiotics and fluids are given through a vein. Pain medicines may also be given.

Most patients need 2 to 3 days of bedrest in the hospital before they can go home.