New lumboperitoneal shunt for communicating hydrocephalus; technical note.

The authors describe a T-tube Silastic shunting device which has been used for lumboperitoneal shunting in 62 patients with communicating hydrocephalus during the past 3 years. In 38 patients it was inserted as a primary shunting procedure; 24 patients had the shunt inserted following problems secondary to arachnoiditis created by a polyethylene-type lumboperitoneal shunt. The shunt described here has not led to arachnoiditis when inserted as a primary shunting procedure. In 61% of patients no operative revisions of their shunt has been required to date, and 81% continue to do well on their T-tube type shunt.