COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF 2 CUSTOMARY CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID SHUNTING SYSTEMSIN EARLY-CHILDHOOD HYDROCEPHALUS

The validity of clinical studies on shunt-treated hydrocephalic patien ts is often hindered by inhomogeneity of the patient population examin ed, technical devices used, or by other specific factors. In an effort to introduce a homogeneous clinical study on hydrocephalic patients 6 6 hydrocephalic newborns and infants have been treated exclusively wit h CORDIS Orbis-Sigma Valve (OSV) System (CORDIS Corporation, Miami, US A) in 1990-1995. The results are compared with an equivalent group of 53 children treated with CODMAN Holter Valve (HV) System (CODMAN Inc., Randolph, USA) during a similar 5-year-period (e.g., 1986-1991). Sear ching for different reasons of shunt insufficiency in both groups demo nstrates a more than double risk of shunt complication for ventriculo- atrial I-IV treated patients (VA-HV) in comparison with those treated ventriculo-peritoneally with OSV System (VP-OSV): 4.22 versus 1.98 mea n surgical procedures per person. The different revision and survival rates are discussed and specific problems are mentioned.