Hydrocephalus & Shunt Surgery Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Juhu
The brain sits in a cushion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is produced and absorbed continuously. Hydrocephalus develops when that balance is upset, and fluid builds up in the brain's ventricles, pressing on delicate tissue. At the Centre for Neurosciences, CritiCare Asia Hospitals, we provide hydrocephalus treatment in Juhu, Mumbai after complete evaluation in infants, children and adults.
Types of Hydrocephalus
- Communicating
fluid moves freely between the ventricles but is not absorbed properly. - Obstructive
a tumour, cyst or narrowing blocks the normal fluid pathway. - Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
a slow build-up, mostly in older adults, where measured pressure can look normal. - Congenital or acquired
present from birth, or following infection, bleeding, head injury or a tumour.
What Causes It
In infants, hydrocephalus may follow premature birth with bleeding in the brain, a developmental problem of the brain or spine, or infection. In adults, it often follows a brain haemorrhage, head injury, meningitis or a tumour blocking the fluid pathway. Sometimes no clear cause is found, particularly in older adults with NPH.
Symptoms by Age
Signs differ with age, which is one reason the condition is sometimes missed.
- Infants
may show a rapidly enlarging head, a tense or bulging soft spot, persistent vomiting, irritability and eyes that seem fixed downwards. - Older children and adults
more often have headache, particularly on waking, with nausea, blurred or double vision, drowsiness and poor balance. - NPH
tends to bring an unsteady, shuffling walk, declining memory and thinking, and loss of bladder control, all easily mistaken for ageing or dementia.
Consult hydrocephalus specialists in Juhu, Mumbai for further assistance.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis rests on examination and imaging. Ultrasound can be used through the soft spot in infants, while CT and MRI show enlarged ventricles and may reveal the cause. An eye examination can show swelling of the optic nerve, and in children, head size is tracked over time. In suspected NPH, a controlled removal of CSF through a lumbar puncture helps show whether walking and thinking improve. Cerebrospinal fluid shunt surgery diverts excess fluid away from the brain to relieve pressure caused by hydrocephalus and related conditions.
Treatment Options
Medicines cannot cure hydrocephalus, so treatment for brain fluid buildup is surgical. A shunt diverts excess fluid to another part of the body, most often the abdomen, and is called a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. Shunt surgery for hydrocephalus places a thin tube in the brain to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid and relieve pressure on it. In selected patients, endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) makes a small opening inside the brain to let fluid escape without a shunt.
VP Shunt Surgery
- Before surgery
The team reviews scans, arranges blood tests and an anaesthetic assessment, and gives fasting instructions. Families are also told plainly that a shunt is usually a long-term device and what risks go with it. - During surgery
Under general anaesthesia, a thin catheter is placed into the ventricle through a small opening in the skull. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery drains excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain's ventricles into the abdominal cavity, where the body absorbs it, and intracranial pressure eases. Many patients receive a programmable valve, whose pressure setting can be changed afterwards with an external magnetic device, without another operation. That helps when a patient is draining too much or too little. - After surgery
Patients are monitored in hospital, wound care is explained, and activity is resumed gradually. Follow-up visits include scans and, for programmable valves, checks of the setting. Families are taught the warning signs of a shunt problem. Headache and other symptoms often ease as pressure settles, though how quickly varies from person to person.
Revision Shunt Surgery
A shunt is a mechanical device, and over the years it may need attention. Common reasons include:
- Blockage of the catheter or valve
- Disconnection or fracture of the tubing
- Infection
- Over-drainage or under-drainage, causing headaches or a return of the original symptoms
- Outgrown tubing in growing children
Warning signs are the return of the original symptoms, such as headache, vomiting or drowsiness, or fever, redness or swelling along the shunt track. Revision may mean replacing a single blocked part or the whole system. Infection usually calls for antibiotics and, often, temporary removal of the shunt with external drainage before a new one is placed.
Hydrocephalus & Shunt Surgery Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Juhu
Hydrocephalus surgery in Juhu, Mumbai at CritiCare Asia Hospitals starts with working out why fluid has built up, since the cause shapes the choice between a shunt, ETV or careful observation. The neurosurgical team explains the options to the family in plain terms, including what a shunt can and cannot do. Children and adults are managed with different priorities, since a growing child's shunt needs a different long-term watch than an older adult. After surgery, patients are followed up regularly, and anyone with a shunt is encouraged to contact the hospital early if symptoms return. If you or your child has a shunt and the old symptoms are returning, or you suspect hydrocephalus, book an assessment with the best neurosurgeons in Juhu, Mumbai at CritiCare Asia Hospitals.