Laparoscopic surgery in a patient with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt: a new technique

With advances in the treatment of hydrocephalus, patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS) often have normal life expectancies. They are therefore more commonly requiring abdominal surgery. Laparoscopic surgery has become the favored technique for performing many of these operations. However, the presence of a VPS has been considered a contraindication or hazard in performing many of these laparoscopic operations. We present a case report of a laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication in a patient with a VPS and describe a technique for the successful management of the VPS throughout the procedure with no adverse sequelae.