The shunt implant surgery takes place in an operating room at the hospital. The procedure takes about 30 minutes. The anesthesiologist will give you medicine so you are completely asleep during the procedure, and will monitor you throughout the procedure. If you are undergoing a ventriculoperitoneal VP shunt placement, the nursing staff will shave a small section of hair on your head. They will also thoroughly wash your head and abdomen with a special soap.
This ensures the area is sterile. After the procedure, the OR team will move you to the recovery room. Once you are awake, the transport team will move you to a room in the hospital. You will stay overnight in the hospital, so we can monitor you during your recovery. Most patients leave the hospital after one or two days. Some of your activities will be limited when you first leave the hospital. For example, you should not lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for two to four weeks, and you should not resume driving if you are taking narcotic pain medication.
Although the valve is beneath the skin on your head and protected, you should be careful not to bump it. You should have someone look at your incisions every day. The neurosurgeon also may prescribe physical therapy or an appointment with a rehabilitation specialist if you have any problems with walking, standing or balancing. Inserting a shunt should help reduce headaches, dizziness, and nausea and vomiting. How much you improve will depend on how serious your symptoms were by the time you had surgery.
The shunt may also improve symptoms related to your vision. A reminder: A magnet, like the magnets in an MRI, can affect the valve and possible change the setting. If you need an MRI, please let the doctor know about your valve. After you have an MRI, you will need to schedule an appointment for us to check your valve setting in the clinic. CT scan and MRI studies have shown that many patients with IIH have narrowing of one or both of the transverse sinuses, which are the large cerebral veins inside the skull near the back of the brain.
This narrowing, or stenosis, results in back-up of venous blood, causing impaired drainage of cerebrospinal fluid and increased pressure in the head. Some investigators believe that this narrowing of the transverse sinuses is a consequence of IIH, but many believe that sinus stenosis can worsen or actually cause IIH. Studies have shown that some patients with IIH get better when a stent, or mesh tube, is placed into and expands a narrowed transverse sinus sinus stenting if they are not responding to medical treatment and weight loss.
The stent is placed into the venous sinus by means of a large cathether that is inserted into the femoral vein, in the groin, then guided into the transverse sinus with Xray guidance.
The complication rate of venous sinus stenting in low, but includes rupture of a vein, which might cause bleeding outside or inside the brain. The study is no longer recruiting subjects. The trial evaluated participants who have mild vision loss due to IIH. The research was intended to establish evidence-based treatment strategies, to possibly determine risk factors for getting the disease, and to improve our understanding of the natural history of the disease.
The study also followed the patients who participate in the study for up to four years to evaluate the outcomes from treatment.
The primary objective of the study was to determine whether losing weight and implementing a low-sodium diet, along with taking a diuretic medicine that reduces the amount of fluid in the body , reduced or reversed vision loss associated with IIH. The study determined that individuals with IIH did better with treatment with acetazolamide along with weight loss, compared to those with weight loss alone.
A study comparing surgical treatments for IIH is being planned. The doctors at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute plan to participate in this study. Blog News PR Contacts. Your doctor may recommend a medicine called acetazolamide Diamox in addition to weight loss. This medicine helps your body make less CSF.
In shunt surgery, doctors make a small hole and add a thin tube, called a shunt, to help extra fluid drain from around your brain into the rest of your body. There is also an eye surgery where doctors make a small hole in the covering around the optic nerve. This trial helped to prove that acetazolamide, along with a weight loss plan, can help to restore some vision in people with IIH. It also helped create clear guidelines for doctors on how to prescribe acetazolamide for patients with IIH.
Search the site. Print this Page. Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. On this page:. At a glance: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Symptoms:. Headaches, blind spots, peripheral side vision loss. What is idiopathic intracranial hypertension? What are the symptoms of IIH? Idiopathic IH may be diagnosed if you have increased pressure on your brain and no other cause can be found.
These procedures can provide relief from your symptoms, but they also carry a risk of potentially serious complications. Talk to the surgeon about what your operation involves and what the risks are. Chronic intracranial hypertension IH can be life threatening if it remains undiagnosed and the causes are not treated. You should be referred to a specialist neurologist as soon as possible if a GP suspects it.
Idiopathic IH is not usually life threatening, but can be a lifelong problem. While many people find their symptoms are relieved with treatment, but the symptoms can come back and can have a significant impact on your life. There's also a risk that you could lose your vision, even though treatment can help reduce this risk. Page last reviewed: 21 October Next review due: 21 October Intracranial hypertension. Intracranial hypertension IH is a build-up of pressure around the brain.
This page focuses on chronic IH.
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