What kind of procedures are there?
In general the goal of treatment is to reduce or prevent brain damage by improving the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid. One treatment is surgery where they will go into the brain and remove the blockage. Also some may have a procedure done called ventriculectomy. This is when a small opening is made in the bottom of the third ventricle to enable the fluid to exit the brain. With ventriculectomy there is a 90% chance for long term success with little follow up procedures. Another more common treatment is shunting. A shunt is a surgically implanted flexible tube called a catheter into one part of the brain. The other end of the tube is put in either the stomach, a heart chamber, or the space around the lungs where the fluid can be drained into the blood stream. Although shunting can be very effective there is still a high rick of failure. On average about 30% of shunts will stop working in the first year and after in the following years there is a 5% chance of failure. If there was to be a shunt malfunction then the child of person would need either replace the shunt or move it. Most people who under go shunting will have to have other operations to monitor shunt problems. For people with hydrocephalus the types of treatments depend on the age of person, the cause of the CSF build-up and the overall health of the person. Because there are many treatments for hydrocephalus many people who under go procedures live but there is still a 50-60% death rate of those who have untreated hydrocephalus.
How can I prevent hydrocephalus?
There are not too many ways to prevent hydrocephalus. One way would be to protect the head of a child or infant and also talk to your physician if your child experiences any symptoms of hydrocephalus.
