Met with my NS today.
There is a chance that will have to get a shunt (I had decompression survey on Oct 24)
Has anyone had a shunt added after decompression surgery? What was involved? how log was recovery etc.
Any info on this subject would be appreciated!
i had to get one under emergency circumstances so i dont remember a whole lot....but i can share what i know
i have a medtronic vp shunt, healing time varies...
the hardest part is there are several types of shunts, and of course infection.
But U can tell you about a VP shunt so, if you have a vp shunt ..having it set right for your needs takes a bit- the next hardest part is your body getting use to foreign objects inside it- the cath tube that goes into your peritoneal cavity does "float" around and for me caused me some weird pains which according to doc i wasnt having- i just couldnt have been feeling-Oh no!! But let me tell you I was- he just did not understand- After a Long long time the pains finally subsided or i just got use to them-LOL- this explaines a VPshunt in simplified terms http://neuroanimations.com/Hydrocephalus/Shunts/VP_Shunt.html
I had my shunt installed again under a life saving need 19days after my decompression in 2009 (oct24th) it took a long time for me to be well right after install i think it was 3 days later they sent me home i was back in the hospital within 2 days and i was re-admitted and stayed for 3 weeks. of this whole time I lost 6 weeks of memories..thankfully enough i have a husband who says I dont need those memories anyway. And since- I am totaly driven by airpressure which ofcourse my neurosurgeon says I shouldnt be but I am...Oh and EVERY time you get an MRI you WILL NEED to go back to your NS to have your shunt settings checked!..(unless you dont have a VPshunt) I wish you all the best.
to Sum up the surgery
bur hole in skull in upper front so then can place cath in ventricle and connected to to the bubble part "unit" of the shunt is placed under the scalp and i think screwed in (not sure)and a small slit is cut just behind ear and a cathader hose is pushed up underneath the scalp behind the ear to the "unit" and connected andother cathader hose is pushed under the skinfrom then neck down to the stomach there is a small slit made in your stomach and they they make a small cut in the peritoneal cavity slide the cathader inside secure it inside make sure all connections are secure and then sew up your stomach and your head. Oh if you have hair they do a real bad job at shaving your head!! primo awful actually!!