Hydrocephalus & Shunt Surgery Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Andheri East, Mumbai
CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Andheri East, is a neurology hospital in Mumbai where hydrocephalus is investigated in a planned order, so that the cause is identified and treatment is not delayed. The brain sits in a cushion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), produced and absorbed without pause. If that balance is upset, fluid accumulates in the brain's ventricles and presses on delicate tissue. Infants, children, and adults can all be affected. Once the cause is clear, hydrocephalus treatment in Andheri East, Mumbai can be matched to the patient's age and condition.
Types of Hydrocephalus
- Communicating
fluid flows freely between the ventricles but is not absorbed properly. - Obstructive
a tumour, cyst or narrowing blocks the normal fluid pathway. - Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
builds up slowly, mostly in older adults, with pressure readings that can look normal. - Congenital or acquired
present from birth, or arising after infection, bleeding, head injury or a tumour.
Symptoms by Age
The signs change with age, and this is one reason the condition is sometimes missed.
- Infants may have a rapidly enlarging head, a tense or bulging soft spot, persistent vomiting, irritability and eyes that seem fixed downwards.
- Older children and adults typically report headache, especially on waking, along with nausea, blurred or double vision, drowsiness and poor balance.
- NPH brings an unsteady, shuffling gait, declining memory and thinking, and loss of bladder control, all easily mistaken for ageing or dementia.
What Causes It
In infants, causes include premature birth with bleeding in the brain, developmental problems of the brain or spine, and infection. In adults, it often follows a brain haemorrhage, head injury, meningitis or a tumour blocking the fluid pathway. No clear cause is found in some patients, particularly older adults with NPH. The cause governs the choice between a shunt, a ventriculostomy and observation, so it is settled first, before hydrocephalus surgery in Andheri East, Mumbai is scheduled.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis depends on examination and imaging. Ultrasound can be used through the soft spot in infants, and CT and MRI show enlarged ventricles and may reveal the cause. An eye examination can detect swelling of the optic nerve, and head size is tracked over time in children. For suspected NPH, controlled removal of CSF by lumbar puncture shows whether walking and thinking improve.
Treatment Options
Medicines cannot cure hydrocephalus, so treatment for fluid build-up in the brain is surgical. A ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt diverts excess cerebrospinal fluid to another part of the body, most often the abdomen. In selected patients, endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) creates a small opening inside the brain that lets fluid escape without a shunt.
VP Shunt Surgery
Before surgery, scans are reviewed, and blood tests and an anaesthetic assessment are arranged together where possible, with fasting instructions given at the same visit. Families are told clearly that a shunt is usually long-term and what risks come with it.
During surgery, a thin catheter is placed into the ventricle through a small opening in the skull under general anaesthesia, then tunnelled under the skin to the abdomen, where the fluid is absorbed, and pressure in the head eases. Some patients may receive a programmable valve, adjustable afterwards with an external magnetic device without another operation, which helps when drainage is too high or too low.
After surgery, patients are monitored in hospital, wound care is explained and activity is resumed gradually. Follow-up dates are fixed in advance, with scans and, for programmable valves, checks of the setting at each visit. Families are taught the warning signs of a shunt problem. Headache and other symptoms often ease as pressure settles, though how quickly varies.
Revision Shunt Surgery
Because a shunt is a mechanical device, it may need attention over the years. Common reasons are:
- Blockage of the catheter or valve
- Disconnection or fracture of the tubing
- Infection
- Over-drainage or under-drainage, causing headaches or a return of earlier symptoms
- Tubing outgrown by a growing child
Warning signs include the return of headache, vomiting or drowsiness, or fever, redness or swelling along the shunt track. Revision can mean replacing one blocked part or the whole system. Infection generally requires antibiotics and often temporary removal of the shunt, with external drainage, before a new one is placed.
Hydrocephalus & Shunt Surgery Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Andheri East, Mumbai
At CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Andheri East, assessment starts with finding out why fluid has built up, since the cause decides between a shunt, ETV, and observation. The neurosurgical team sets out the options in plain terms, including what a shunt can and cannot do, and tests are sequenced so results are available together at the review. Children and adults are managed with different priorities, because a growing child's shunt needs a different long-term watch from an older adult's. Follow-up visits are scheduled in advance, and anyone with a shunt is encouraged to get in touch early if symptoms return. If you or your child has a shunt and the old symptoms are coming back, or you suspect hydrocephalus, book an assessment with a neurosurgeon in Mumbai at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Andheri East.