Help: Outcome of a shunt surgery
 

My mom was done with a shunt surgery on Monday for NPH. Before surgery she had the triad of gait disturbance (difficulty walking), dementia and impaired bladder control. On the first day after surgery, my mom becomes much more active than before. -- She would like to involve the talking with family members. We are are happy of that. But since the 2nd day (after a nap), she turns back to be dementia kind status. For example, she is Delayed response to questions or Difficulty following conversation.

We are quite confused and worried about the failure of shunt. Can someone help to explain why my mom have such experience after shunt?

Thanks a lot

Hello
Am really sorry for your mom.. My father have the same issue I would like to know what did you do with your mom ??
Thanks

I also have NPH and have been shunted for almost 5 years. From what I've read, neurosurgeons remove some CSF when they put the shunt in and prime it. This sometimes can explain an initial quick recovery. Also, they usually set the drain to a low level initially, and gradually increase the flow to avoid pulling away the brain from the skull and causing a bleed. It's early days, and your mother will improve. If she is running a fever, seems completely out of it (more than before surgery), consult her doctor to make sure she doesn't have an infection.

You may want to make a log with what you've observed with your mother. This will help the NSG. Make a list of questions, and make sure you get answers you can understand. Do what you can to educate yourself about how your mother's shunt is supposed to work by looking on the Hydrocephalus Assn website. If you don't feel your questions are being addressed properly, don't hesitate to seek a second opinion, especially if you think your mother's shunt is malfunctioning.