Turkish Neurosurgery 2020 , Vol 30 , Num 2
Timing of Shunt Insertion in Children with Neural Tube Defects and Hydrocephalus: A Clinical Study
Onur OZGURAL1,Gokmen KAHILOGULLARI1,Ihsan DOGAN1,Umit EROGLU1,Fatih YAKAR2,Mustafa Cemil KILINC1,Emre Yagiz SAYACI1,Mustafa Agahan UNLU1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara,Turkey
2Department of Neurosurgery, Pamukkale University School of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.26588-19.1 AIM: To define the optimal time of shunt insertion in patients with neural tube defects and hydrocephalus.

MATERIAL and METHODS: In total, 71 patients who underwent operation for neural tube defects and hydrocephalus were retrospectively evaluated between 2012 and 2018. The first group comprised 43 patients who underwent operation at different times (in 10 days after the repair of defect), and the second group comprised 28 patients who underwent operation at the same time. Ruptured and unruptured sacs were immediately considered and operated within 72 hours.

RESULTS: In the first group, 43 patients underwent operation for neural tube defect after birth. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion was performed 10 days after wound healing. Five (11.6%) patients were diagnosed with meningitis on follow-up. Shunt infection or meningitis was not observed on follow-up in the second group, which comprised patients who underwent operation at the same time.

CONCLUSION: The lowest complication rate existed in hydrocephalus management when shunt insertion and myelomeningocele repair procedures were performed at the same time. Keywords : Hydrocephalus, Neural tube defect, Shunt infection, Ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Corresponding author : Onur OZGURAL, onurozgural@yahoo.com