Endoscopic third ventriculostomy: 5 years' experience at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is one of the efficacious surgical options available for obstructive hydrocephalus, and is preferable to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in those eligible. We retrospectively studied 115 cases, who underwent ETV at our institute over the last 5 years. Thirty-eight patients were infants. Major indications for ETV were aqueductal stenosis (n = 60/115, 52.2%), Dandy-Walker malformation (15/115, 13%), associated arachnoid cyst (n = 13/115, 11.3%) and post-meningitic hydrocephalus (n = 12/115, 10.4%). Average duration of the follow-up was 10.6 months. Ninety-nine patients (86.1%) showed clinical improvement after surgery. Clinical improvement was seen in 27 out of 38 infants (71%) followed up. ETV is a highly effective tool in all age groups of patients for the management of hydrocephalus. Clinical features should be considered as indications of the success or failure of ventriculostomy in infants who have low-pressure hydrocephalus.