title: Complications of ventriculosubgaleal shunts in infants and children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ventriculosubgaleal shunt has been used for the temporary bypass of the normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways. To date, a large series of complications from this procedure has not been elaborated upon in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed all such shunts (170) placed at our institution over the last 6 years and documented all complications from this procedure. The majority of patients operated upon were premature infants with intraventricular hemorrhage and subsequent hydrocephalus. This technique was used in a much smaller group of patients in whom the peritoneal cavities were not currently candidates for distal shunt implantation but would have been with time. Other patients in whom this technique was used were those with malignant brain tumors, intraventricular abscesses, chronic truncal wounds, chronic subdural hygromas, and meningitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complications from subgaleal shunting included infection (5.9%), intracranial hemorrhage (1.1%), and wound leakage (4.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe the benefits afforded by ventriculosubgaleal shunting significantly outweigh the risks of the procedure and greatly ease the burden of care for this select population of children. Based on the literature and our own experience, the complications from this procedure are not excessive or extraordinarily unique compared with other neurosurgical CSF diversion techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. richard.tubbs@ccc.uab.edu
authors.forename: R Shane
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tubbs
authors.forename: Jason T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soleau
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wellons
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Blount
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Grabb
authors.forename: W Jerry
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oakes
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects*