Treatment Options Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Overview

The following treatment options may be recommended by your doctor:

• Weight loss
• Weight loss and oral medication
• Making an opening in the covering of the optic nerve to reduce fluid and pressure (optic nerve sheath decompression or ONSD)
• Placement of a permanent shunt to reduce and maintain normal CSF pressure
• Placement of a vascular stent in the cerebral venous sinus (vein) if it shows a restriction of blood (stenosis), which in turn restricts resorption of CSF.

Lifestyle changes and oral medications are often the first treatment for someone with IIH, but if the symptoms do not improve, surgery may be the next step. One surgical treatment option involves internally directing the cerebral spinal fluid by means of an implanted device. The Strata^® NSC Lumboperitoneal Shunt System is such a device that may be used for the successful treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. In many cases, both oral medication and a lumboperitoneal shunt are used.

If surgery is your next step, a neurosurgeon will be responsible for implanting your lumboperitoneal shunt.