Hydrocephalus treatment in children - single center study

Introduction: Treatment of hydrocephalus is one of the most common interventions in paediatric neurosurgery. Drainage can be external or internal and hydrocephalus can be resolved endoscopically, too. Methods: Patients aged 0-18 years who had undergone surgical treatment for hydrocephalus at the Clinic of Paediatric Surgery LF UK and NUDCH in Bratislava in the years 2005 to 2018 were included in this study. Results: 729 patients with hydrocephalus and 1 203 surgical interventions were evaluated. External drainage accounted for 28 % of interventions. In a group of patients up to 6 months of age with primarily implanted external drainage, we demonstrated the superior safety of the implantation of a ventricular reservoir as compared to continuous external drainage (p < 0.001). In patients with internal drainage (ventriculo-peritoneal shunt), an average of 2.1 shunts per patient had been implanted, with a decreasing tendency observed. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy overall success rate was 58 %, with its efficacy being dependent mainly on patient age and hydrocephalus aetiology. (author)