Hi Jadiee-x. I was just looking thru google to find an answer to my problem and I found your site and post.I have the very same problem!I had my shut surgery done on the 25th of Nov. A VP shunt for IIH.I have no problem from the head or stomach wounds just the pain in my side. I was rushed to hospital Monday by ambulance because they thought I was bleeding internally. I wasnt but they still couldnt tell what or where the pain came from.I would love to talk to you about it all if you have the time.I do hope you are feeling better.Cath278.

Hey Jaidee, I had a big problem with pseudocysts back in 2006. I had had two surgeries in two months. One to place a programmable valve(in August) and another about 2 weeks later cause that valve was faulty(September). Anyways, over the next couple of months I had severe stomach pain. I was hospitalized in October when a pseudocyst in my stomach became infected. They drained the cyst and I went home but the pain only stayed a way for a short time before it was back. I went through December and the end of the year keeping a heating pad on my stomach almost 24/7 due to the pain. In January I had another pseudocyst drained(that was what was causing all the pain). My neurosurgeon decided that the scar tissue in my stomach (due to the 2 shunt surgeries I had had on my stomach because of the VP shunt) was the cause of all the pseudocysts. He said it was a problem that would continue to occur over and over and decided that the best course of action was to move my shunt from my stomach to the pleural cavity(around the lungs). I haven't had any stomach pain since he did that in January of 2007. Its been around a month so you may already know what was causing your stomach pain, but if you haven't its something to ask your doctor about! ~Melissa~

hi cath,
Ive since found the cause of the problem, well an appropriate way of resolving the pain anyways.
im having my VP shunt converted to a VA shunt, my neurosurgeon spotted a build up of fluid in my abdomen (ascites) and this could have been what is causing the pain. Even if this is not what is causing the pain and it is infact the tube digging into the abdomen or organs, this will also resolve as the distal end will go into the heart instead of the peritoneum.
perhaps you could suggest this to your neurosurgeon too
will be happy to chat if you need to know anything.

My wife too has ascites build up in the peritoneum and her doctor advised that a VA Shunt has its own complications. We had drained about 4 litres of fluid by the doctors tapping out the fluid. Has your doctor advised off why there was ascites fluid, or nobody knows why? Also is the VA Shunt better, any complications?

I have also had a vp shunt when I was born and at 14 had it revised, now at 30 I have had a build up of Ascited fluid in my peritoneum cavity. We had to go see a fertility clinic where they are not sure if this fluid can damage the fallopian tubes. Has your doctor said anything of why there is a build up of Ascites fluid, as mine has no idea why I got it.

Hi everyone-
My son is reporting consistent and uncomfortable stabbing-like pain in the area above his shunt incision in his abdomen. (He is 18 and has had shunt since age 1, several revisions over the years.) This is a new thing though...so we're concerned. No headache, fever (which is good) - but these posts make me wonder about a fluid cyst or a kink or deterioration of the tube or....?? Here is my question: will an xray of his abdomen (our hospital does these every few years, a "shunt series", head + stomach) show a cyst?? Or even a kink or the condition of the shunt tubing??

Thanks for any info you have. So excited to find this forum, so we may all help each other with 'real life' experience!!!

My first surgery was an aspiration of a colloid cyst of the Third Ventricle of the Brain. Two yeas later, still having hydrocephalus, They installed a VP Shunt. That was back in 1987. For 23 years I went thru pain .Went to many Doctors trying to find out what was wrong.In October of 2009 I was hospitalized for open heart surgery. Well they found my Aortic valve was failing. Had an As sending Aortic Aneurysm, an also needed a triple by pass.While I went thru the dozens or so of MRI's an CT's. Now at 53 the heart problem was enough. But no while doing a scan of the brain. They found I was over shunting. So after goin to a neurosurgeon .He looked at my scans, an said he could not see anything wrong. Two weeks later went to the hospital for extreme dizziness,and loss of vision in right eye. After another CT they found my ventricle was smaller than last time. So this time I went back to the same clinic, But asked for another doctor this time. A new vp shunt an still pain. I am at the point of giving up. It is like the Doctors are to busy to see someone who might really sick