title: Pediatric gravitational shunts: initial results from a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors' goal in this paper was to evaluate prospectively the efficacy and safety of a new pediatric gravitational shunt to determine whether it warrants inclusion in a randomized, controlled trial with other shunts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 55 children between the ages of 0 and 6 years (median age 0.5 years, average age 4+/-6 years) underwent primary shunt implantation; all received the Miethke Paedi-GAV. The follow-up period ranged between 12 and 77 months (mean 47+/-21 months). The primary end point of the study was the first shunt failure necessitating revision. The 1- and 2-year shunt survival rates were 75 and 68%, respectively. The average failure-free shunt survival duration was 1423 +/- 641 days. Based on imaging findings, no slitlike ventricles occurred. The complication rate was 33%, and the median time to shunt failure was 45 days. Underdrainage occurred in one child (1.8%) and overdrainage in two children (3.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results prove the Miethke Paedi-GAV to be a safe and effective pediatric shunt worthy of inclusion in a randomized comparison with other shunts in the pediatric population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Saarland University Medical School, Saarland, Germany. ReginaEymann@web.de
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eymann
authors.forename: Wolf-Ingo
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Steudel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiefer
mesh_terms: D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome