VP Shunt Surgery Treatment in India

VP Shunt Surgery Treatment Cost in India

Cost of Treatment Including Tests / Investigations $ 5200
Cost of Stay & Meals for 15 days (For 2 persons) $ 00
Cost of Taxi, Phone, Internet for 20 days $ 60
Medical Visa Cost For One person $ 0 0
Flight Cost Return Airfare Book Online
Total Cost (All Inclusive)
$ 00
Total cost
Total Days
Days in Hospital
Outside in hspital

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Top Doctors for VP Shunt Surgery

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Dr. Ravi Gopal Varma

M.Ch., MBBS, MS

Lead Consultant

20 years of experience

Dr. Umesh Srikantha

M.Ch., MBBS

Consultant

17 years of experience

Dr. Akshay Hari

DNB, MBBS

Consultant – Neuro Surgery and Spine Surgery

10 years of experience

Dr Ajay Herur

DNB, MBBS

Sr. Consultant - Neurosurgery

15 years of experience

Dr Amar B R

DM, MBBS, MD

Sr. Consultant - Neurology

15 years of experience

Dr Arun L Naik

M.Ch., MBBS, MS

Sr. Consultant - Neurosurgery

18 years of experience

Dr Ganesh K Murthy

M.Ch., MBBS, MS

Sr. Consultant - Neurosurgery

32 years of experience

Dr. M.M.Salahudeen

M.Ch., MBBS

Consultant

18 years of experience

Dr. A.R. Jegathraman

M.Ch., MBBS, MS

Neuro Surgeon

44 years of experience

Dr M R C Naidu

DNB, M.Ch., MBBS

Consultant

33 years of experience

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Top Hospitals for VP Shunt Surgery

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Columbia Asia, Pune
Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, Delhi - NCR
Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta, Bangalore
Max Hospital, Saket, Delhi - NCR
Apollo Hospital, Chennai, Chennai
Continental Hospital, Hyderabad
Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai
Medanta Hospital, Delhi - NCR
BLK Hospital, Delhi - NCR
Paras Hospital, Delhi - NCR
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Frequently Asked Questions About VP Shunt Surgery

One of many treatment options available for curing the trouble of hydrocephalus is VP shunt or ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. A shunt allows the excess of the cerebrospinal fluid to drain to different parts of the body releasing the pressure in the brain. It channels the fluid into the abdomen space where it gets absorbed. Any VP shunt has three basic parts:


  • A long catheter
  • A short catheter
  • A reservoir having a one-way valve attached to it

This shunt valve above is responsible for controlling the flow of liquids. This is in turn attached to the shorter catheter, which drains the fluid away from the brain of the patient. The surgeon can choose to insert a small catheter in the front, back or side of the head.  It's running further under the skin behind the ear up the spine to the belly.


Since the VP shunt works by draining the excessive CSF and brings down the pressure in the brain it can relieve the symptoms. Certain symptoms just disappear naturally after the VP Shunt gets inserted while others will go away gradually within a period of a few weeks.


Depending upon the setting of the shunt the amount of fluid that is drained by the VP shall be controlled. In case of a non-programmable VP Shunt, the setting that are made in advance by the surgeon cannot be further changed. However, the advantage of programmable VP shunt is that the doctor may change it when they find it necessary.


If any healthcare provider thinks a programmable one is better suited for the patient, then they may recommend that accordingly.


The surgeon can also choose to implant an anti-siphon device that will help in the prevention of over drainage especially during upright position. These devices are available in quite a range of strengths for the surgeon to choose from.

There is a condition called hydrocephalus where there is too much accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricles, which increases the pressure inside the skull intracranial (inside the cranium). This condition can be the result of many kinds of diseases or injuries suffered, which can also include conditions that prevent the absorption of CSF or an obstruction to the flow of CSF.


Some of the most common symptoms of hydrocephalus will include the following symptoms:

  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fatigue and drowsiness
  • Irritability
  • Convulsions and confusion, problems in thinking
  • Control loss in urination
  • Problems with walking and body balance.
Imaging tests like Ultrasound, CT scans, and MRI scans will allow surgeons to see the cavities and the tissues around the brain and whether the brain is housing more fluid than normal and is causing pressure.

Apart from sharing the medical history with the healthcare provider, the patient must have a very transparent conversation about three aspects specifically, which are sleep apnea, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption is drastically reduced, which can cause seizures, but if it is not reduced, recovery problems and good surgical outcomes will again result. It is important for the patient to know if the type of shunt to be implanted has consequences in the patient being close to any big magnet. There are many options available today that do not represent a threat to MRI or any other big magnets.

Implantation of cerebral shunt and its positioning is fixed based on the kind and location of the fluid blockage suffered by hydrocephalus. The catheter that is placed in the cerebral ventricle is referred to as the proximal portion of the shunt which basically implies to its proximity to the brain. The right lateral ventricle is the most popular kind of shunt location chosen. The distal portion of the catheter is placed in the cardiac atrium via a chest cavity, bladder but mostly the route is made to end in the peritoneal space or the abdomen. The abdomen is usually considered as the least morbid of all locations. But in all cases, the distal end of the catheter can be positioned in any epithelial cell or tissues that can absorb the cerebrospinal fluid.


In infants, a subgaleal shunt is used which is a temporary measure since they can not tolerate any other kind of shunts. The surgeon makes a cavity in the subgaleal space and allows the CSF to flow out of the ventricles, which slowly reduces the strain. As the child develops the shunt will be turned into a potential shunt ventriculoperitoneal or VP.

Before surgery and general anesthesia, patients require adequate preoperative testing and informed consent. The patient should be positioned with the head centered spine so that the shunt reservoir sits at the tip. The pool is normally on the right side of the head and looks like a flat globe below the surface.

 

The surgeon reviews the shunt series imaging. Then the hair of the patient is parted with the help of a gel or can be completely shaved. The skin is cleansed with some antiseptic and then sterile fenestrated drape is applied over the reservoir site.


Now the surgeon inserts a very small 23 ga. butterfly needle which is kept perpendicular to the skin inside the reservoir. Some resistance can be felt when the needle enters. But then it is gradually progressed until a point is reached where the bevel of the needle is placed inside the reservoir, keeping the needle in a secured position so that the cerebrospinal fluid gradually enters the tubing.


The shunt is now tapped with the syringe and opening pressure is recorded with the help of a manometer. The surgeon now collects 5 ml of CSF into sterile specimen containers. The needle is then withdrawn from the reservoir and gentle pressure is applied over the entry site for 2 or 3 minutes. Gauze is applied to the site and the cerebrospinal fluid sample for glucose, protein, gram stain, cell count and culture is sent to the lab.


The whole surgery should not take more than an hour.

The patient wakes up in a post-anesthesia recovery unit or PACU. The patient will be monitored and later shifted to a normal hospital bed. The patient will be released after 3 to 5 days depending on the medical conditions. The medical team will assess the mental assessment abilities of the patient by asking them simple questions to find out the proper working of the brain.


The patient will be advised on the day to day activities like bathing, walking and food consumption to assist in faster recovery. The patient or his or her family member should ensure that visitors to the physician is done on a timely basis. If any symptoms of swelling at the incision site or high temperature and pain is observed, the healthcare provider must be immediately informed.

If CSF starts accumulating abnormally in the brain causing blockages, an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) can be considered as an alternative to VP shunt surgery. This is a minimally invasive surgery that normalizes the pressure in the brain without employing a shunt. It creates a bypass for the fluid and the fluid gets absorbed in the bloodstream. The bypass is created through the membrane at the base of the third ventricle and hence the word third is used in ETV.
VP shunt surgery cost in India is between $5000 - $6500 which is considered as far more cost-effective than any other developed country.

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