Hydrocephalus Shunt Failure
Untreated hydrocephalus can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms such as visual, speech and mobility problems. It is usually treated with the insertion of a shunt to drain the excess fluid from around the brain but if the shunt fails, the same symptoms can re-emerge and the patient's very life may be threatened.
How shunts work
When a patient is suffering with hydrocephalus it means that they are experiencing a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain. This can be life-threatening and the pressure needs to be relieved.
This is often achieved by draining the fluid from around the brain into the abdominal cavity through a tube called a shunt. For most patients, this is a highly-successful procedure although it does require close monitoring and may necessitate periodic replacement.
Shunt failure
Occasionally, however, the shunt can fail, leading to either a reduction or increase in the amount of fluid being drained from around the brain. In this scenario, the patient needs urgent attention. If the shunt has become blocked, the cerebrospinal fluid will no longer drain into the abdomen but start to build up again, causing the initial hydrocephalus symptoms to reoccur.
A shunt failure may be due to a number of causes related to the initial surgery, the age of the patient and other developments of problems within the patient's body. However, it can develop very quickly and needs emergency attention.
If the shunt malfunctions, the patient may start to exhibit some of the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- A stiff neck
Although the rate of failure of hydrocephalus shunts appears to be reducing, it is nonetheless not an uncommon problem and needs to be diagnosed as quickly as possible.
Diagnosis of shunt malfunction
Where a patient known to have a shunt presents with the above symptoms, it is vital that the possibility of a failure of their shunt is considered. A delay in this diagnosis may prove fatal.
The patient is likely to have to undergo a number of tests to try to confirm whether or not their symptoms are being caused by malfunction of the shunt. This may require a CT scan or an x-ray as well as blood tests.
If shunt blockage or malfunction is confirmed as the diagnosis, the patient may require an emergency shunt revision to try to resolve the problem.
Medical negligence
A delay in diagnosis can put the patient at risk of long-term visual and mobility problems and, of course, of death.
If you or a loved one are suffering the significant impact of a failure to recognise the malfunction of a shunt, contact us today to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor about your situation.
It may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
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