Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Surgery in Brunei Darussalam: A Population-Based Perspective

Objective  Ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery is commonly performed to treat hydrocephalus. We aimed to characterize the demographics, complications, and outcomes of patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery in Brunei Darussalam. Materials and Methods  We conducted a retrospective study on patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery at the Neurosurgery Department of the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital and Brunei Neuroscience Stroke and Rehabilitation Centre between January 2015 and June 2020. Statistical Analysis  All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York, United States). The χ ² test, Student's t -test, and Mann-Whitney U test were performed for nominal, normally, and non-normally distributed variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the predictors of complications and shunt failure. Results  Fifty-three patients with a median age of 33 (interquartile range, 4-49) years were included. A total of 53 shunt operations were performed: 18 in the pediatric population and 35 in adults. The overall complication rate was 22.6%. Infection was the most common (9.4%) complication, with coagulase-negative staphylococci being the common organism causing the infection. The shunt failure rate (defined as removal or revision) was 20.8%. Univariate and multivariate analyses did not identify factors associated with complications or shunt failure. Conclusion  Ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery, a common and technically non-demanding neurosurgical procedure, is associated with significant complications. We highlighted that shunt infection remains a concern and advocate practices to negate this risk.