title: Ventricular catheter tack-down suture: technical note.
abstract: Tubing migration accounts for a significant number of shunt complications. In an attempt to reduce the likelihood of disconnection and tubing migration, we have developed a technique to rigidly fix the proximal catheter to the skull. The method involves the placement of a small twist drill hole adjacent to the catheter burr hole through which a suture is passed. The suture is then used to rigidly bind the proximal shunt tubing and valve to the skull. This approach provides an efficient and effective means for reducing complications related to shunt tubing migration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, and Alvin Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Leuthardt
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Chicoine
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Grubb
mesh_terms: D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000601:surgery*; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D012886:Skull / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques