Comparison between ventriculoatrial and ventriculoperitoneal shunting in the adult population.

A comparison is made between ventriculoperitoneal (VP) and ventriculoatrial (VA) shunting in an adult population. Forty-nine patients with VA shunts and 73 with VP shunts, as well as six with a combination of the two, in total 128, were reviewed. Sixty-eight complications were encountered in 168 operations (40.5%). There were two deaths. The infection rate was 2.5%. Distal tube blockage occurred after five out of 109 VP shunt operations (79 patients), while four blockages occurred in 59 VA shunts (55 patients). In addition, six peritoneal catheters escaped from the peritoneal cavity requiring revision. We found the complication rate involving the distal end of the shunt to be similar between the two types, but favour the ventriculoperitoneal shunting because of the ease of placement and the lesser severity of potential complications.