Simple But A Reliable Technique: Ventriculosubgaleal Shunt

Ventriculosubgaleal shunt technique is a simple and cost-effective method that can temporarily maintain CSF flow in newborn infants with hydrocephalus. Although the technique had been described 100 years ago, only few updates have been found in the literature. Department of Neurosurgery in Medical School of Erciyes University has applied ventriculosubgaleal shunt (VSGS) technique on 40 cases in a period of 40 years and continues to perform it when indicated. While 32 of those cases were premature infants with symptomatic hydrocephalus which occurred after an intraventricular hemorrhage arising from germinal matrix, 6 were full term infants who exhibited symptomatic hydrocephalus due to intraventricular hemorrhage originating from Vitamin K deficiency. In 2 cases, the technique had been applied against the symptomatic hydrocephalus occurring as a result of the removal of the shunt due to ventriculoperitoneal shunt meningitis. No complications observed during the procedure and we aimed to present this rather old and forgotten, but reliable, shunt technique step by step along with figures.