Headaches to be expected after VP shunt removed and VA shunt placed?

[dylpicklesmom]

My 3-year-old had to have a VA shunt placed due to his VP shunt having been infected with MRSA.  Since the placement in June he has had 2 shunt failures and still is continuing to get headaches.  He CT scan is normal (and has been during shunt failure) but he gets headaches when he cries and when sleeping at night.  Is it possible the shunt is draining too slow?  His NS said she thought they are migrains, but they are triggered by crying and sleeping. Let me say they are very, very severe headaches, as severe as when he overdrained before or had a shunt failure.

Thank you,
Robynn

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi,
The headaches could be related to improper functioning of the shunt . When the shunt doesn’t drain properly , there is an increased intracranial pressure leading to headaches . When the child cries or lies down , the pressure is all the more increased leading to severe headache .  Please discuss this possibility with the neurosurgeon and consider another shunt replacement since the increased pressure may lead to many complications . Please go for an MRI to check the functioning of the shunt . Hope this helps you . Take care and regards !  

[RSM1980]

My son had a VP shunt placed in his head when he was 4 months old. He did fine with the shunt all the time he had it. It was initially placed due to excessive fluid on the brain that was noticed at two months but was not brought to our attention until he was four months old. Now he has a stiff neck for about two days now and it is really a great concern to our family. Is this anything related to the removal or could it be something else!? Please and Thank You!

[puppynose]

I just read your question and i thought may be i could be able to ask you.My daughter
was born premature she also has congenital hydrosephalus.She is 21 now,since March of this year 2009 she has been in and out of the hospital's having revision's,and also her cathater had pulled out of the abdomen and wrapped around her uterus,so they performed a surgery and externalized her.We then went home with iv antibiotic's with pic line.Then she ended up going back for another surgery to replace the cathater,so again they opened her abdomen again.Went in for her 4 weekcheck up theytold me that she had another infection so they put a permanent port line going into her heart.Every thing was looking great home visiting nurse came for her visit and recommended that i take her back to the doctor,so i did. At that time they told me that my daughter had some how caught 3 infection's, 1 staph,2strep,3entrognouse. Soin the last 4 weeks she has been in the hospital on strong antibiotic's, also externalized again.She has recenty had to go from a vp shunt to a va shunt. This is very scary for our family. This last surgery that was done was 330 surgery's that she has had. So now that i wrote you a book my actual question to you is do you feel that this condition our children have is terminal and after so many surgery's do they run out of option's.

                                                            THANK YOU
                                                            Just a very stressed mother.