The Shunt Book

Book excerpt: Shunt: a mechanism which bypasses/diverts accumulations of fluid to an absorbing or excreting system. Though the shunt operation is the most common neurosurgical procedure performed, it has a high failure rate (one year averaged a 30% failure rate). A problem is the lack of understanding and lack of knowledge, by neurosurgeons, of basic fluid dynamics and internal workings of the shunts themselves. They simply use "what they were trained on" without the benefit of an objective guide to the best shunts and why they are superior to others. As the author states, their only other source of information comes from biased manufacturer's representatives. The Shunt Book fills a void in the literature by presenting basic information on types of shunts and their functions, thus allowing neurosurgeons to rationally select shunt equipment and understand their mechanical effects. This inexpensive and easily accessible handbook offers chapters on fluid dynamics, internal mechanisms of shunts, types of shunts available, alternative devices and how to measure shunt effectiveness. This volume discusses How shunts work, How shunts fail, Alternatives to shunts, and Measuring implanted shunt performance.