Change of patient position using a transportation board during lumboperitoneal shunting. Technical note

Lumboperitoneal shunt placement requires access to the lumbar theca in the lateral position, followed by subsequent laparotomy in the supine position. This position change and repeat draping are bothersome, especially in heavy patients, so we developed a method that facilitates changing the patient position while keeping the surgical drapes in place. An oblong plastic board covered with Teflon-coated glassfiber cloth and surrounded by a nylon-cloth sleeve is used. The sleeve can be easily moved over the board, so patients can be moved in the transverse direction with minimal pushing force. The patient is placed in the lateral position on the board on the operating table and draped from the back to the abdomen. After catheter insertion into the lumbar theca and introduction of a subcutaneous tunnel to the flank, the patient is pushed in the ventral direction, moved to the opposite edge of the operating table, and the position is changed from lateral to supine, leaving the original drape intact. Finally, a catheter is placed by laparotomy. We were able to change position easily in 20 patients weighing 47-85 kg (mean 69.6 kg). This technique reduces the labor required for position change and preserves sterility.