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Hydrocephalus surgery and VP shunt in Tijuana
When cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the brain, a shunt carries it through a catheter to the abdomen, where it is reabsorbed. It is the standard treatment for hydrocephalus.
A circulation problem, not a production problem
The brain produces cerebrospinal fluid continuously and reabsorbs it at the same rate. When something blocks circulation or prevents reabsorption, fluid accumulates in the ventricles, dilates them and raises pressure inside the skull. That is hydrocephalus, and it can appear in the newborn, after a haemorrhage, after meningitis, from an obstructing tumour, or with no evident cause in an older adult.
Symptoms change with age. In an infant: rapidly increasing head circumference, a tense fontanelle, irritability and downward gaze. In older children and adults: headache, vomiting, blurred vision and drowsiness. In older adults, the classic triad of normal-pressure hydrocephalus — gait disturbance, urinary incontinence and cognitive decline.
What is implanted, and what living with it is like
The system has three parts: a catheter entering the ventricle, a valve regulating how much fluid passes, and a distal catheter running under the skin to the abdominal cavity. Modern valves are programmable from outside with a magnet, so pressure can be adjusted without another operation.
With a working shunt, life is normal: school, work, exercise, travel. What does need to be known are the signs of malfunction — returning headache, vomiting, drowsiness, fever or redness along the catheter track — because an obstructed or infected valve needs attention the same day, not next week.
What the procedure involves
When it is indicated
- Congenital hydrocephalus in the newborn and infant
- Post-haemorrhagic or post-meningitic hydrocephalus
- Obstructive hydrocephalus from a posterior fossa or intraventricular tumour
- Normal-pressure hydrocephalus in older adults
- Malfunction of a previously placed shunt
- Hydrocephalus associated with myelomeningocele
Techniques and resources
- Programmable or fixed-pressure valve
- Ventricular and peritoneal catheters
- Neuroendoscope
- Follow-up CT and MRI
- Subcutaneous tunneller
- External magnetic programmer
Frequently asked questions about ventriculoperitoneal shunt
In most cases yes, and it should not be removed while it works. It may need revision if it obstructs, becomes infected, disconnects, or if the patient grows and the distal catheter becomes short — which is common in children.
A small bump is palpable behind the ear, along with the catheter track under the skin of the neck and chest. It does not hurt, does not limit exercise and does not prevent normal life. Do tell any doctor who treats you that you have a shunt.
That is the classic triad of normal-pressure hydrocephalus, frequently mistaken for dementia or Parkinson's disease. It is one of the few causes of cognitive decline that can improve with surgery, so it is worth investigating with imaging and a neurosurgical assessment.
Bring your imaging and settle the question
One consultation with your MRI or CT in hand is worth more than ten internet searches. Book by phone or through the form and you will be told what is there, what it means and what your options are.