Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt survival in patients developing hydrocephalus after cranial surgery

Aim: Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion remains the most popular method for the treatment of hydrocephalus despite its associated complications. We assessed VP shunt survival in a group of patients who had developed hydrocephalus following cranial surgery. Material and Methods: A retrospective charts review was done over a 10-year period at our institution. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Log-Rank (Cox-Mantel) test were used to analyze various factors affecting VP shunt survival. Results: Among the 67 cases included, a total of 28 (46.3%) patients had undergone cranial surgery for brain tumors. The overall rate of shunt failure was 14.9% at a mean follow-up of 16 months. Shunt failure in pediatric patients (20%) was slightly higher than that in adult patients (13.5%). The median time to first shunt failure was adversely influenced by a history of brain tumor (p = 0.019), prolonged antibiotic therapy (p = 0.018) and administration of steroids (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Shunt survival was worse in patients who developed hydrocephalus following cranial surgery performed for brain tumors and those who received either steroids or prolonged antibiotic therapy. Thus post-cranial surgery hydrocephalus represents a unique subset of hydrocephalus.