Medical Encyclopedia

Medical Encyclopedia

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt - series: Procedure

 Procedure

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt - series
Illustrations:

  • Normal anatomy
  • Indications
  • Incision
  • Procedure
  • Aftercare

    • A small catheter is passed into a ventricle of the brain. A pump is attached to the catheter to keep the fluid away from the brain. Another catheter is attached to the pump and tunneled under the skin, behind the ear, down the neck and chest and into the peritoneal cavity (abdominal cavity). The CSF is absorbed in the peritoneal cavity.

    Update Date: 5/3/2007

    Updated by: Robert A. Cowles, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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