Common "Shunt Surgery" queries answered by top doctors | iCliniq

Shunt Surgery

Shunt surgery is the placement of a small and thin pipe to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid to other parts of the body. Shunt surgery is indicated in case of blockage in the CSF flow due to tumors, etc. Complications of this surgery are excessive bleeding, infection, etc.

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I had a lumboperitoneal shunt placed, and I keep having intense sharp pelvic pain. Please help.

Query: Hi doctor, I had a lumboperitoneal shunt placed, and I keep having intense sharp pelvic pain that interrupts peeing. I have medical conditions like peripheral neuropathy, hypertrophic kidney, and childhood uremia due to a late diagnosis of nephrosis, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, Raynau...  Read Full »


Dr. Hitesh Kumar

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern. You are already taking so many medications for pain control. In a strong history of repeated shunt infection, there is a high possibility of getting the current shunt infected, which may be causing persistent pain despite so many pain control me...  Read Full »

I have been having a bulge on the right side of my back for the past 10 years along with lower back pain. Kindly help.

Query: Hello doctor,I am a 23-year-old female and I had scoliosis. I wore braces for my spine for a while, but it did not really work and it started to affect my breathing. My parents and I took the decision for me to have surgery. The doctors made an incision on my back, two-three inches below my neck, al...  Read Full »


Dr. Sharoff Lokesh Mohan

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Thank you for your query. This is more of a rib cage due to deviation of the spine. Cosmetic appearance is not the only way to a happy life, your spine does not look too bad to recommend you another surgery, and there is very little chance that it will worsen. If yo...  Read Full »

Which is better for moderate OS ASD - medicines or surgery?

Query: Hi doctor, Recently, we came to know that my mother has a congenital heart disease (moderate OS ASD with left to right shunt) at the age of 46. And we consulted the doctors. One of them said it can be cured by medicines and another said surgery will be a better option. So, please help us as soon as ...  Read Full »


Dr. Prashant Valecha

Answer: Hello,Welcome to icliniq.com.OS ASD (ostium secundum atrial septal defect) cannot be cured by medicines. Because it is diagnosed at 46 years, we need to close it. If she would be above 65 years of age, we could have left it. If we do not close it now, it will increase symptoms like breathing difficu...  Read Full »

Which is a better treatment for NPH, shunt surgery or CSF drainage?

Query: Hello doctor, My 76 year old mother was recently diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus. She is having trouble walking. She can walk only three to four steps at a time. She has been having this difficulty since a month now. She is currently not on any medication for this or for any other issue...  Read Full »


Dr. Chandan Mohanty

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I am sorry to hear about your mother. I have seen her MRI reports (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Going for lumbar puncture (LP) drainage, and then checking for a clinical improvement, before a shunt, has a better chance of determining the overall suc...  Read Full »

Is surgery necessary to treat fluid in brain?

Query: Hello doctor, My sister is suffering from head pain since one month. She usually have head pain when she wakes up from bed, which gradually gets alright after a while. She is taking Dynapar for pain. The reports of computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows everything n...  Read Full »


Dr. Anshul Varshney

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. We are here to help you. I have gone through your sister's reports (attachments removed to protect patient identity). I understand your pain for your sister. But, your doctors are guiding you in the right way. Your sister needs surgery for the same that too shunt surg...  Read Full »

How common is CSF leak after shunt surgery?

Query: Hello doctor, My sister-in-law have surgery shunt in brain for hydrocephalus conditon before two weeks and she was unconcious. But now they suggest surgery for CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid) leak. We are very confused what should we do? Is it possible to have CSF leak after shunt surgery? Kindly revert ...  Read Full »


Dr. Rahul Pramod Patil

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I feel sorry for all the pain your sister in law is going through. Hydrocephalus is a difficult problem to treat. The complication which are seen your sister in law case are very common in these type of patients. I would suggest you to follow your doctors (neurosurgeon...  Read Full »

Does size of perimembranous VSD matter?

Query: Hello doctor, My baby was diagnosed with 4 mm VSD during the 20th week of pregnancy. After delivery, an echocardiogram was done, and our pediatric cardiologist told me that my baby had large perimembranous VSD shunting bidirectionally. But did not tell us the size. My baby is three months old now. I...  Read Full »


Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Yes, size matters small VSDs (ventricular septal defect) do not require treatment, while large ones (usually more than 6 mm of the size of the aorta) need surgical correction only. So here it is being large and has no significant gradient across it, so it needs surgica...  Read Full »

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