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411458 tn?1202341426

vp shunt revision

My husband is a 40 yr. old,he has a vp shunt due to a malignant brain tumor removal..He has had 7 revisions since June,2008.The last one has caused some physical problems,like balance is off,memory is very bad,has a hard time doing math in his head,very irritable,hearing loss of the left ear,the neurosurgeon says the ct scan looks good,is there any way to tell if he will have these symptoms for the rest of his life?? He still suffers from headaches now.
4 Responses
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2054509 tn?1330463513
i know what you feeling , i need a revise shunt replace. and the ns said my fluid  that it stable. but i'm having the same problems you are. my ct is fine. but i having teririble headaches too
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1093617 tn?1279302002
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi, Thank you for your question. If he has continuous symptoms, possible causes may be shunt is either under-draining or over-draining. His doctor can assess this with a lumbar puncture and measures the fluid pressure. He/She may make some adjustment of the shunt to allow it to drain more and can monitor if the headache improve. Another possibility could be shunt is over-draining, that may lead to low CSF pressure that can also lead to headache. This may improve when the person lies down and gets worse when the person sits or stands. Even then if he suffers continuous symptoms, please arrange an appointment with a neurologist right away who will evaluate the further underlying disorders here that may be the main reasons of her headaches and can suggest her appropriate treatment. Hope this information proves helpful to you.

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Avatar universal
Wow--7 shunt revisons since June 2008! My heart goes out to you and your husband. My Mom had her VP shunt revised in Jan. 2008 and then again in June 2008 on an emergency basis with complications, and I thought that was very stressful. Seven in 2 years....

Is the shunt he has externally programmable? If so, maybe they need to adjust the flow. That was the case with my mother; they wouldn't adjust it until I think it was 2 or 3 months after the surgery, for fear it would drain out too much fluid. When they did finally adjust it, it made a huge difference/improvement in her speech, memory, personality, etc.    
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Avatar universal
i'm sorry to hear about your husband's problems
I am 14 and luckily have only had 3 shunt operations in that time (due to hydrocephalus). I have sound-sensitivity which might have been caused by the neurosurgeons hitting a nerve by accident. They said that it should decrease in time.I think your husband's body needs to get back to normal after all the difficulties and trauma it has faced and i know it can be so frustrating. It is especially hard for those people who are watching this happen to a loved one.But the way i see it, is that there is a treatment for it and there are millions of people all over the world with shunts so you should know that your husband is not alone
I would recommend that you and your husband go to support groups. I hope that this will ease all the pain and worries you have.
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