General surgery involvement with ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertions reduces revision rates

Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS) are placed for a variety of etiologies. It is common for general surgery to assist with insertion of the distal portion in the peritoneum.

To determine if there is a difference in revision rates in patients undergoing VPS placement with general surgery as well as those undergoing laparoscopic insertion.

A retrospective review of all consecutive patients undergoing VPS placements was performed in a three-year period (2017-2019). Those that underwent placement with general surgery were compared to those without general surgery. Additionally, patients undergoing distal placement via mini-laparotomy versus laparoscopy were compared. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine risk factors for distal VPS failure.

331 patients were included. 202 (61.0 %) underwent VPS placement with general surgery. 121 (36.6 %) patients underwent insertion via laparoscopic technique. General surgery involvement reduced operative times, decreased length of stay, and lowered overall revision rates with distal revision rates being most significant (1.5 % vs 8.5 %; p = 0.0034). Patients undergoing VPS placement via laparoscopic technique had decreased operative time, length of stay, in-hospital complications and revision rates, with significant decrease in shunt infection (1.7 % vs 7.1 %; p = 0.0366). A history of prior shunt or abdominal surgery (OR 3.826; p = 0.0282) and lack of general surgery involvement (OR 20.98; p = 0.0314) are independent risk factors for distal shunt revision in our cohort.

The use of general surgeons in VPS insertion can be of benefit by decreasing operative time, length of stay, total revisions, and distal revision rates. Further prospective studies are warranted to determine true benefit.