CONTROL OF HYDROCEPHALUS BY ENDOSCOPIC CHOROID-PLEXUS COAGULATION - LONG-TERM RESULTS AND COMPLICATIONS

Endoscopic choroid plexus coagulation has been used for the control of hydrocephalus regularly at this unit for the past 20 years. 156 of th ese operations have been performed on 116 patients and the aim of this study was to assess the rate of long-term control of hydrocephalus an d the complications of the procedure. Data have so far been found for 98 patients with a median age at operation of 5 months (range 1 week - 30 years). After a mean follow up period of 10.5 years there were 32 (33%) patients continuing without a ventricular shunt. One patient dev eloped papilloedema and required ventricular shunting 16 years after c horoid plexus coagulation. There were no deaths resulting from operati on. 5 patients developed post-operative meningitis and 3 patients had post-operative infections of implants (2 shunts and 1 reservoir). No c ases of post-operative meningitis have occurred since vancomycin and g entamicin have been added to the solution used to perfuse the ventricl es after operation (28 cases). Other complications included post-opera tive fits (2), respiratory arrest in a premature baby (1), low-pressur e state (1), blocked or leaking external ventricular drain (4), drain displacement (4), subdural effusion (1) and per-operative minor Ventri cular bleeding forcing abandonment of the procedure (2).