Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026
Neuronavigation and Laparoscopy Guided Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Insertion for the Treatment of Hydrocephalus
Published on: October 14, 2022
The economic impact of ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure
Chevis N Shannon1, Tamara D Simon, Gavin T Reed
1Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama 35233, USA. Chevis.Shannon@chsys.org
Insights
Hydrocephalus shunt failures incur significant costs for families. Caregivers with private insurance face higher out-of-pocket expenses compared to those with public insurance, despite higher reimbursement rates.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Health Economics
- Medical Device Costs
Background:
- Hydrocephalus necessitates ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement in children.
- Shunt failure is a common complication requiring surgical intervention.
- Comprehensive cost data for shunt failure episodes, including caregiver and payer expenses, are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine primary caregiver out-of-pocket expenses for shunt failure.
- To ascertain third-party payer reimbursement rates for shunt failure episodes.
- To analyze the total economic burden of shunt failure in pediatric hydrocephalus.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of children (2000-2005) with initial VP shunt placement and subsequent failure within 2 years.
- Utilized institutional reimbursement data from Children's Hospital of Alabama.
- Augmented data with a caregiver survey to capture out-of-pocket expenses.
Main Results:
- Median total cost for shunt failure was $5411 (IQR $2428-$18,582).
- Median caregiver out-of-pocket expenses were $419 (IQR $251-$1112).
- Private insurance reimbursed higher ($5074) than public insurance ($4800), but caregivers with private insurance had greater out-of-pocket costs ($963 vs. $391).
Conclusions:
- Private insurance yielded higher reimbursement rates but greater caregiver out-of-pocket expenses for shunt failures.
- Shorter hospital stays for private insurance patients did not fully offset their increased out-of-pocket burden.
- Future cost models should incorporate community resources that may mitigate out-of-pocket expenses for publicly insured patients.
Object:
Detailed costs to individuals with hydrocephalus and their families as well as to third-party payers have not been previously described. The purpose of this study was to determine the primary caregiver out-of-pocket expenses and the third-party payer reimbursement rate associated with a shunt failure episode.
Methods:
A retrospective study of children born between 2000 and 2005 who underwent initial ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement and who subsequently experienced a shunt failure requiring surgical intervention within 2 years of their initial shunt placement was conducted. Institutional reimbursement and demographic data from Children's Hospital of Alabama (CHA) were augmented with a caregiver survey of any out-of pocket expenses encountered during the shunt failure episode. Institutional reimbursements and caregiver out-of-pocket expenses were then combined to provide the cost for a shunt failure episode at CHA.
Results:
For shunt failures, the median reimbursement total was $5008 (interquartile range [IQR] $2068-$17,984), the median caregiver out-of-pocket expenses was $419 (IQR $251-$1112), and the median total cost was $5411 (IQR $2428-$18,582). Private insurance reimbursed at a median rate of $5074 (IQR $2170-$14,852) compared with public insurance, which reimbursed at a median rate of $4800 (IQR $1876-$19,395). Caregivers with private insurance reported a median $963 (IQR $322-$1741) for out-of-pocket expenses, whereas caregivers with public insurance reported a median $391 (IQR $241-$554) for out-of-pocket expenses (p = 0.017).
Conclusions:
This study confirmed that private insurance reimbursed at a higher rate, and that although patients had a shorter length of stay as compared with those with public insurance, their out-of-pocket expenses associated with a shunt failure episode were greater. However, it could not be determined if the significant difference in out-of-pocket expenses between those with private and those with public insurance was due directly to the cost of shunt failure. This model does not take into consideration community resources and services available to those with public insurance. These resources and services could offset the out-of-pocket burden, and therefore should be considered in future cost models.
