How are shunt problems treated?

Shunt blockages which are causing illness usually require an operation to replace or adjust the offending part of the shunt. Shunt infections are usually treated by removal of the whole shunt and a course of antibiotics before insertion of a new system. Modern approaches to antibiotic therapy mean that such treatment can be expected to succeed in most cases.

Anatomy of the ventricles. CSF flows from the lateral ventricles into the third ventricle, through the aqueduct of Sylvius, to the fourth ventricle and finally over the surface of the brain to the dural sinuses where it is absorbed into the blood.

A ventriculo-peritoneal shunt between the lateral ventricle and peritoneum