|
Complications
Patients and their families must be alert for the signs and symptoms resulting from shunt complications. The major complications of shunting are infection, obstruction, and overdrainage.
Infection is a hazard present in all surgical operations — particularly when a foreign body such as a shunt is implanted. Infection should be suspected if there is a fever, unusual redness or swelling of the wounds, or redness along the length of the shunt system (the shunt track). These changes should be called to the attention of the neurosurgeon.
The most common complication associated with a shunt is a shunt obstruction — the shunt becomes clogged. Shunts may become clogged from cellular debris, blood, or tissue fragments. For NPH patients, an obstructed shunt is usually discovered when the original symptoms recur. A surgical procedure is usually required to fix or replace the obstructed shunt.
Other complications can also occur in the days and months following the surgery. The most serious complication is a subdural hematoma (blood clot) on the surface of the brain. This can result from draining too much fluid out of the brain too quickly, causing the brain tissue to shift and blood vessels on the surface of the brain to tear and bleed. Symtpoms associated with a subdural hematoma vary from headaches, paralysis, and may be as severe as coma or death. The risk of an NPH shunt patient developing a subdural hematoma is approximately 10%. |
