Neuroendoscopic surgery in children: does age at intervention influence safety and efficacy? A single-center experience.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to review the safety of pediatric intraventricular endoscopy across separate age groups and to determine whether intraventricular endoscopy is associated with an increased risk of complications or reduced efficacy in infants younger than 1 year. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, 286 pediatric patients younger than 17 years underwent intraventricular endoscopy at Great Ormond Street Hospital between December 2005 and December 2014. The primary diagnosis, procedure, and complications were recorded. RESULTS Neuroendoscopic surgery was performed in 286 pediatric patients (51 neonates 0-6 months [Group 1]; 37 infants 6-12 months [Group 2]; 75 patients 1-5 years [Group 3]; 54 patients 5-10 years [Group 4]; and 69 patients ≥ 10 years [Group 5]; male/female ratio 173:113). The most common procedures included endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in 159 patients and endoscopic fenestration of intracranial cysts in 64 patients. A total of 348 consecutive neuroendoscopic procedures were undertaken. Nine different complications were identified, of which postoperative seizures (1.7%), CSF leak (3.1%), CSF infection (2.4%), and intracranial hemorrhage (1.7%) were the most common. Specifically, no significant difference in complication rate (11.9%) or infection rate (2.4%) was observed among age groups (p = 0.40 and p = 0.91, respectively). In addition, there were no perioperative deaths; 30-day mortality was 1.1%. After neuroendoscopy for CSF diversion (n = 227), a significantly higher rate of shunt insertion was observed in the youngest group (Group 1, 63.0%) when compared with older groups (Group 2, 46.4%; Group 3, 26.3%; Group 4, 38.6%; and Group 5, 30.8%; p = 0.03). Similarly, for patients who underwent ETV as their initial neuroendoscopic procedure or in combination with additional surgical interventions (n = 171), a significantly higher rate of shunt insertion was also observed within young infants (Group 1, 67.9%; Group 2, 47.6%; Group 3, 19.6%; Group 4, 27.3%; and Group 5, 23.3%; p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Intraventricular endoscopy is a safe neurosurgical intervention in pediatric patients of all ages, although it might be associated with increased shunt rates after endoscopic surgery, specifically ETV, in younger infants.