Traditionally-placed shunts for hydrocephalus have a high degree of shunt failure (shunt stops working or infection). There is significant morbidity and some mortality in re-operating on these patients. Another technique to place shunts is endoscopically, and there is some evidence that these shunts have a decreased failure rate. However, this has not been rigorously studied. This study will randomize patients to either endoscopically inserted shunts or shunts placed by traditional surgical means. A total of 433 patients will be enrolled in this randomized study, with 20 enrolled at this site. The primary outcome is time to shunt malfunction.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 459 publications