When you had your shunt converted, was it a whole shunt revision including the head side of things or was it just the distal end? xx

Hey Jaidee, when I had my shunt converted(Jan 2007) it was just the distal end of it. They had just put a new valve in in Sept 2006, so they left that alone.

hi melissa,
thanks for letting me know

im just wonderign wether it will just be my distal end that get revised or whther it will be the whole thing, as mine is getting put into my atrium so i guess the catheter will be shorter, im wondering whether they will trim the catheter or whether it will be a completely new one due to risk of infection :S

Hi, I had similiar problem a week ago and fears were my shunt was blocked in the adomen. But I was surprised to learn that my shunt ends, not at the end of the incision in the belly, but way over by my right hip. The X-ray tech did an ultrasound of the stomach and then an X-ray to find where my shunt actually ended. I too, feel my shunt has shifted at the top end down a couple of inches. What I was surprised to learn is that it doesn't end at the bottom of the incision, but actually extends all the way to the far right side just about the right hip. X-ray tech and doctors now wants CT-scan of abdomen to investigate further. But I'm still getting the stomach pains. So, I, too, really don't know why...Jeff

Oh my goodness sweetie...I know I know...This belly pain is HORRIBLE! I too have had this pain, the last time I had it , it lasted for a whole month and 4 days I NEVER know what to do cause it hurts sooooo bad and is just soooo painfull. My NS also said it has nothing to do with the shunt either...But after finding this site and reading ALL of you that talk of the same exzact pain/problems now I kinda know. But it does still REALLY stink, and I pray that it NEVER comes back but I know it will. We need to find a way to understand why this happens... I wish I knew how to stop it-at least yours is not that bad enough that you can go & be in a wedding- when I get mine sometimes the pain is soooo very bad I have a hard time even walking-Well goodluck to you and hope it goes away soon!

i am over the moon to be able to say, i had my pain sorted out!!

I had mine everyday since september 15? up til Friday just gone!!

i want to know if the pain comes close to contractions, as i cant imagine as more intense pain!!

I had my VP converted to a VA shunt on friday at great ormond street, I havent had any stomach pain at all since! *fingers crossed*

Sorry but i raise my two fingers up at those NSurgeons that turn round and say its not the shunt, IT IS.
If youre happy to go ahead and have a small operation to have it converted then i say go for it, take the risk. If the stomach pain continues, then your NS can turn round and say they were right, but just assuming the problem isnt shunt related is just shifting the cause and really deosnt help, you will just go round and round in circles trying to look for a solution if the shunt isnt taken into consideration!

I knew from day 1 of the pain, that it was shunt related. My NS/NC, was sure it was pains from surgery. I knew it was not, weeks went by and he was still shifting the blame of surgery 'healing' pain. Almost 4 months down the line, he werent able to tell me it was healing pain anymore, thats when a more indepth study took place of what was causing the pain.

Whenever you have a problem with your health, its strange that we ALWAYS know when we have something wrong with our shunt, we suspect and 9 out of 10 times we are right! Keep pushing on thats all you can do, unless you want to perform the surgery yourself.

Goodluck xo

I wonder if at sometime I did have a VA shunt. I have a unnoticiable scar on my neck (wich may have been placement of the VP at one time... to guide it down or something) and one near my collar bone. The two I know of were VP's.

But this is off topic... I was answering someone.

I had similiar pains in the lower end where I THOUGHT the shunt ended. The doctor ordered an ultrasound of my stomach and the X-ray tech decided to take an X-ray first to find out exactly where the distal end of the shunt was. I was surprised to learn that the bottom end of the shunt was not where the incision is. In my case, the shunt tube was extended all the way to just above my left hip. I still get the stomach pains from time to time, but they are now determined to be NOT from the shunt.
Get your neurosurgeon to tell you where the tube ends and failing that, get your MD to order an ultrasound on the stomach. That's how I found where mine ended. I find I often blame the shunt for pain that's not coming from there, so I suggest you ask your doctor to get to the bottom of this. It could be from the shunt, but then again, it could be something entirely differerent.

Hi Jeff,
You get pains round your incision?
Have you been tested for any sort of infection?

But dont worry, it may well just be scar tissue, the skin has been cut and nerves have been damaged, i guess theres possibilty that nerve damage can be long lasting?

Hope everything settles real soon =)