A survey of shunt complications in Shariati Hospital, Iran

Abstract

In this study we tried to assess the incidence rate of shunt complications and it's association with age, sex, location of shunt, duration of surgery, and so on. For this purpose in a prospective study, 82 cases of hydrocephalus after shunt insertion, during the period of two years (1375-1377) in Shariati hospital were selected and all the complications were evaluated. From the patients, 39 cases were female and 43 were male. The range for age was 15 to 73 years with mean age of 16.67 years (SD=22.77). In 22 cases the complications of shunt surgery were observed. Shunt complications in our patients were infection (8.6 percent) and mechanical failure (17 percent). The mean duration of time for onset of complications was 3.11±4.3 months. The complication rate at the beginning (under two) and the end of life was much higher. In trying to reduce the rate of shunt complications, it is necessary to define and understand the causes of these problems they often arise from multifictorial etiologies.

Keywords

• Shunt complications
• Brain shunt