Date of this Version

5-17-2012

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Objectiveæ To describe a surgical techniqueæand to report using a retrospective studyæthe efficacy of peritoneal shunts for the treatment of recurrent/chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). We describeæthe considerations, complications, and outcomes related to this technique. Methodsæ In a retrospectiveæcohort study, 125 charts with a diagnosis of subacute/chronic subdural hematoma were assigned for evaluation. Of the charts reviewed, 18 charts were found from subjects with a diagnosis of recurrent sub-acute or chronic subdural hematoma. All patients had undergone initial surgical treatment of their condition followed by peritoneal shunt placement to help alleviate intracranial pressure. Factors including the age, size of subdural hematoma, number of previous events, BMI, complications, survival, and clinical course were analyzed. Resultsæ After subdural peritoneal shunt placement all patients had full neurological recovery with no complaints of headaches, lethargy, weakness, confusion or seizures. None of the cases had new subdural hematoma episodes after placement for a minimum of a two-year period (mean 26.1 months) (range 24.3-48.6 months). No postoperative complications were reported. The rates of postoperative hemorrhage, infection, distal catheter revision, and perioperative seizures was found to be zero percent. Shunt drainage was successful in all cases, draining 85% of the blood in the first 48 hours. There was no significant relationship between complications and the use of anticoagulants four weeks after surgery. Conclusions Peritoneal shunts, though rarely used, are a viable option in the treatment of sub-acute/chronic subdural hematomas. When pursuing this treatment, this technique is recommended to mitigate the risks of repeat surgical intervention and lessen perioperative time in high-risk patients.

Originally Published In

Cureus

PMID

27335718

DOI

10.7759/cureus.613

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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