How long is hospital stay for shunt surgery?

The actual surgical procedure to implant a shunt typically requires about an hour in the operating room. Afterward, you will be carefully observed for 24 hours. Your stay in the hospital will generally be for two to four days total.

How long does a brain shunt operation take?

Shunt surgery is done by a specialist in brain and nervous system surgery (neurosurgeon). It’s done under a general anaesthetic and usually takes 1 to 2 hours. You may need to stay in hospital for a few days after the operation to recover.

What is the common shunt placement done in hydrocephalus?

Ventriculoperitoneal shunts are used to treat hydrocephalus and divert CSF from the lateral ventricles into the peritoneum. Tapping a shunt is performed for both diagnostic and therapeutic reasons (evaluate for infection or malfunction). A VP shunt is one of the high impact advances made in neurosurgical patient care.

Do they shave your head for shunt surgery?

Your VP shunt surgery will take place in the operating room while you’re asleep. The surgery will take about 1 hour. Once you’re asleep, the doctor will shave off some hair near the area where they’ll make the incision (surgical cut) on your head. Your entire head won’t be shaved.

Where can a shunt be placed?

A brain shunt is a narrow piece of tubing that is inserted into the brain in the fluid-filled ventricle. The tubing is then passed under the skin into another area of the body, most often into the abdomen. Occasionally, the shunt tubing can be placed into one of the chambers of the heart or the lining of the lungs.

How long does it take to feel better after shunt surgery?

Working with a physical therapist, many people see improvement with their walking within a few weeks of shunt surgery. Memory and thinking skills are often slow to recover after shunt surgery, and some people may be left with cognitive deficits.