Laparoscopic-Assisted Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement and Reduction in Operative Time and Total Hospital Charges
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Objective: In ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement, distal placement of the peritoneal catheter will typically be performed by a neurosurgeon. More recently, laparoscopic-assisted (LA) placement of the distal peritoneal catheter by general surgeons has become common. The present study examined whether LA placement of a VPS (LAVPS) is associated with a reduced operative time, lower hospital costs, and fewer distal revisions. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the data from all patients who had received a new VPS at our institution from 2013 to 2016. Age, sex, diagnosis, previous abdominal surgery, operative time, anesthesia grade, incidence of 30-day shunt failure, and total hospital charges were analyzed. Results: A total of 680 patients had undergone first-time VPS placement, including 199 with LAVPS and 481 with non–LAVPS placement (non-LAVPS). The mean age of the LAVPS patients was significantly older than that of the non-LAVPS patients (64.1 vs. 59.3 years; P = 0.002). The mean operative time was shorter in the LAVPS group than in the non-LAVPS group (55 vs. 75 minutes; P < 0.001). Distal shunt revision within 30 days occurred more often for the non-LAVPS patients (6 of 481 [1.2%]) than for the LAVPS patients (0 of 199 [0%]). A subset analysis of patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus found decreased total hospital charges in the LAVPS group ($67,124 vs. $80,890; P = 0.009). Conclusions: Compared with non-LAVPS, LAVPS was associated with significantly shorter operative times and fewer distal shunt revisions within 30 days. The findings from a subset analysis supported a decrease in total hospital charges. Additional studies are needed; however, these data suggest that LAVPS is a safer, less-expensive alternative to non-LAVPS.
Publication Date
3-1-2020
Publication Title
World Neurosurgery
ISSN
18788750
E-ISSN
18788769
Volume
135
First Page
e623
Last Page
e628
PubMed ID
31874294
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1016/j.wneu.2019.12.086
Recommended Citation
Catapano, Joshua S.; Mezher, Andrew W.; Wang, Derrick J.; Whiting, Alexander C.; Mooney, Michael A.; Bohl, Michael A.; Sheehy, John P.; DiDomenico, Joseph D.; Sarris, Christina E.; Smith, Kris A.; Lawton, Michael T.; and Zabramski, Joseph M., "Laparoscopic-Assisted Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement and Reduction in Operative Time and Total Hospital Charges" (2020). Neurosurgery. 1372.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurosurgery/1372