Hi

My one of my familiy member (13yrs old boy) diagonosed with pilocytic astrocytoma(tumour in the optic pathway) in April 2013. VP shunt has been placed in May 2013. But as we are all very novice about this VP shunt and did nt hear anything about it before that. Can anyone let us know how long this VP shunt will survive without any problem whether any precaution we should take to make it more safe.

Please let us know all the pros and cons of vp shunt.I will be highly obliged if you share something about it.

Best reagrds

Shunts last anywhere from days to decades, something like 30 to 40% don't last a full year, ~40-50% don't make it to two years out. Revisions happen for all sorts of reasons.. infections, obstructions, valve is not ok for patient (flow, other characteristics, etc), and so forth. Know the signs of shunt failure (can happen intermittently), all the signs as every patient is different. Other common problems are under draining and over draining , many issues that younger kids have are different from those shunted at an older age.

Thanks for ur reply.I really scared after hearing it.That means you mean to say it will last maximum 2 yrs ? After that we need to change the whole thing..there will be another OT to change it ? my family member is of 13yrs now having shunt placed 8 months ago...Now he is going to school. We are really very very scared all the time ..don't know what lies ahead ?

I didn't say it will only last two years. Some shunts last decades. The takeaway is they don't know when they will fail. Don't live life in fear, know shunt failure symptoms and issues and then live the best life. You can find good shunt info at the Hydrocephalus Association, google them as links are not allowed in newer posts so I can't include it. I know it is scary, finding out more is the best approach. There are lots of reasons people have hydrocephalus, so my experience as a family member is likely to be very different from yours. I've been there for 5 shunt surgeries for a 7yo.

Thanks to all for the info shared. BUt I have some query like is there any restriction that a patient should take while having vp shunt so that he/she can avoid the shunt malfunction or rather probability will be minimised.Do you have any idea that if patient can suffer some pain in ear is that related to shunt or anything else?

waiting for ur reply/views
thanks ...

There is an older book called: Hydrocephalus A Guide for Patients, Families, and Friends by Toporek and Robinson. Most of the info is timeless, some is out of date. This book has some great advice about things you ask. Knowing shunt failure symptoms will minimize complications and seeing the neurosurgeon for recommended appointments is important.

As a parent I don't let my kids play american football since concussions are more likely (would be against boxing but they don't care about that). I do encourage exercise, eating well, staying hydrated and wearing helmets and other safety gear - things that are good advice with or without hydrocephalus (and it is a struggle to establish or maintain healthy habits in all my kids at different ages).

p.s. some people on various forums say they can hear the shunt drain, have some hearing issues on the same side as their shunt, etc. I associate ear pain with ear infections and get it checked out by the doctor if it doesn't go away, mostly will go away on its own and we use over the counter analgesics. Haven't heard of any common ear pain associated with shunts.

Can anyone tell me person having VP shunt can travel in train/ flight ?

Some people don't do well at high altitudes or in unpressurized cabins (light planes, not commercial flights). I used to think people who complained during fast air pressure changes were far out but then I saw my child go nuts as fast moving thunderstorms approached and then she would sleep it off.