Guest guest Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 In partial response to what wrote to Alax... I hope not to further confuse the issue here, but I feel I must chime in with my expereince on this issue. I have been shunted for high intracranial pressure for most of my life. From 1971 - 2003 with an LP shunt, and 2003 - to the present with a VP shunt. My VP shunt history is: 2003: Codman Hakim 2004: Codman Medos (removed due to infection) 2005 - now Medtronic Strata. Setting # 2 Codmans are fussy and prone to failure. While they have many settings and can be fine tuned to an exact pressure setting, they clog easily and fail. My second shunt became infected because of an incision that did not heal correctly behind the ear. I have EDS. The incision did not close right, and became infected. It was a slow growth bacteria, not meningitus. The tubing became infected, not the shunt. Infection flows downward, not upward. Despite decompression surgery and tethered cord surgery, I still need my shunt. I am not able to do with out it. My headaches were gone after the TC surgery for only about a month, and then they came back. I am on just as much pain medication for the headaches as before surgery, if not more now, because of growing intolerence to narcotic pain meds. I have not said much about my Tethered Cord surgery expereince, except to a few that know me well. It was not the great success of improvements that I was hoping for. But, in all fairness to the TCI surgeons, it was not less than what they told me. I was not given any promises, because of my long history of high intracranial pressure, that the tethered cord surgery would relieve my high ICP issues. But I did have high hopes, because of the successes I had read about. TC surgery did imrove my neuro bladder function. I am grateful that I do not live in the bathroom anymore. I have adhesive arachnoiditis, and other spinal issues, that has made my recovery more difficult and " mixed results " . Shunts are far from perfect. BUT, when there is no other recourse to keep the fluid off your brain, they may be the best option there is to not only relieve the high ICP pain, but save ones eyesight as well. Prolonged high intracranial pressure can be damaging to the optic nerve. And the surgery to prevent that damage is not a pleasant one to go through. A shunt surgery is much easier. The risks of infection from the hardware in your body is rare. The risks of infection from removing the hardware is greater than leaving it in there. So, when, when everything else has been considered, and if a VP shunt is the best option...it is not a bad option at all. I am living proof of that. For over 37 years now. Respectfully, Payne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Hi guys... I had to chime in with , in regards to this, as well. I needed the addition of a VP shunt about 6 months after decompression. I was told from day one that this was a possibility... Certainly, it is something that I would have preferred to avoid. However, it essentially gave me my life back. And this was over 17 years ago. If I can answer any questions, please ask. Sally R... ACM decompression '91...Hydro with 2 revisions...doing very well in Pa with no medications! > > In partial response to what wrote to Alax... > > I hope not to further confuse the issue here, > but I feel I must chime in with my expereince > on this issue. > > I have been shunted for high intracranial pressure > for most of my life. . . .> > Shunts are far from perfect. BUT, when there is no > other recourse to keep the fluid off your brain, they > may be the best option there is to not only relieve > the high ICP pain, but save ones eyesight as well. > Prolonged high intracranial pressure can be damaging > to the optic nerve. And the surgery to prevent that > damage is not a pleasant one to go through. A shunt > surgery is much easier.. . > > The risks of infection from the hardware in your body > is rare. The risks of infection from removing the hardware > is greater than leaving it in there. > > So, when, when everything else has been considered, > and if a VP shunt is the best option...it is not a bad option > at all. > > I am living proof of that. > > For over 37 years now. > > Respectfully, > > Payne > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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