Numbness on left side of body caused after a brain shunt operation

[Ish4miq]

Hi,   Last August (2007) I had a shunt revision (my 5th shunt since 1978).  The reason for the shunt was that I developed hydrocephalus when I was 30 years old.  The last operation, the shunt had to be replaced and it was placed on the right side of the brain a little higher than before.  I had always felt fine after each operation, other than the temporary short term memory loss and double vision.  I always came back in good form.  The last operation, however, has left my left side of the body with numbness.  When I move my arms, I feel tingly at my finger tips.  Most of the time, my left side feels knotty.  Even my left eye feels sleepy at times.  The numbness has not ceased since the operation.  It doesn't seem to get better. It doesn't hurt, only the numb sensation constantly. My nerve and muscle cells have no damage according to neurological tests.  My neurosurgeon and neurologist say the numbness was caused due to the shunt revision and that it caused some brain damage there.  They say to give it 18 months and see if the brain goes back to normal.  My questions are:  Is there anything I can do to help me with this numb feeling such as exercise, therapy?  Have there been any cases like mine's and how did they turn out?  Why is the numbness seeming to get worse?  Is it possible that this is related to blood circulation?  Could poor blood circulation be a reason for the cause of the numbness, besides the operation?  
  I thank you for any help you can offer.

[Billocoffee]

I want to say that my son has a very similar issue. He recently had a germinoma tumor near pineal. Hydrocephalus was initially relieved then he eventually had a shunt put in to maintain normal CSF pressure while he had both chemo and the proton therapy over the following 3 and half months. The tumor is gone now although its early days we hope it stays gone. The blocking of the ventricle has cleared so the shunt is now redundant.  What we noticed however, is that the day the shunt was placed in his head  (right side toward the front top of skull) he had a numbness type feeling and tingling. We are suspicious that it was the placement of the shunt that caused this. Up to now, 10 months after shunt was placed, he still has this annoying issue. Recently he has suggested it is getting worse. My question to you (Ish4miq) is although it is 10 years since your post, I wonder if your condition ever improved.???? We are thinking to ask the doctors to remove the shunt if after the next year and a clean follow-up there is still no sign of tumor. Please respond if you are still out there in the ether. Thanks, Billocoffee.

[Billocoffee]

I forgot to say this numbness tingling was only on the left side from head to toe.