is a VP shunt removal possible?

[taylord123]

I am a 14 boy, i received my VP shunt a little over a year ago,. it has affected my life in good and bad ways. I received it for PsuedoTumor Cerebri. I received 3 spinal taps prior to the shunt's placement. Yes, it has majorly helped my PTC, but it has limited me so much. I used to play football, and after a year off due to my surgery, the question has come up, shall i play again? The doctor who did the surgery, said he didnt see any problems with playing, except, all of the other doctors i have had all said no, except a few questionables.

on a side note, me and my friends all joke around about the "tube"/

I really really want to play football again, and i really just want this thing out of my head, the doctors all say a VP shunt can not be removed, but i believe there is still hope for me.

2 questions,
   1. after only about a year and a month or so, can a VP shunt be removed?
    2. If they can not remove the shunt, can i play football?
    

I may be young, but ive been through enough to know a lot about my "System(?)"
any help would be much appreciated.

thanks.

[taylord123]

Whoa, I can't believe I posted this 4 years ago... I actually forgot entirely about this. I've kind of come to accept my shunt for what it is, I mean there isn't much I can do about it. I was looking into Endoscopic Third Ventriloscomy.
Well, life goes on.

[hopeful31394]

My daughter has had a adjustable vp shunt for 6 years. 2 revisions in the last 9 months. Does anyone know of neurological group  with more than  one doctor/surgeon that actively works on quality of life issues?

Her doctor now, is supposedly the best in Nor cal but does surgery so much that he has no time to address quality of life. We see him after the emergency room.  Not ideal.

I would move anywhere in the country to be near cutting edge doctors who also address quality of life?
Anyone with suggestions please post!

[EmiliLonneberga]

Dear Galeton,

There might be something wrong with the shunt itself. A removal may not be the right choice. Maybe it needs adjustment or a complete exchange. Please read my earlier posts above, there's 2 of them. Please read about the Japanese doctor Takahashi and the other links. I cannot give you an answer to why she is feeling like she does. However, having read many articles on shunts, some children seem to grow out of the need for a shunt as they get older. I live in Europe, and I guess you're in the U.S.A? You need to find a good neurosurgeon to discuss these matters with and you need to be well prepared when you go there.
What one neurosurgeon told me, is that a removal of a shunt does not cause that many scars.
I hope this link is helpful:
http://health.usnews.com/top-doctors/directory/best-neurosurgeons
Write a good list to clarify the symptoms, see my comment above for details. I really hope your child gets better and please, do not give up!!!! Be persistent, and if it takes 10 or even 20 or more doctors to get the assistance you need, do not stop asking!

I hope my answer helped you to some degree.

[galeton]

who and where is the ns? my 28 month has had severe complication due to a vp shunt and can not find ns that will even discuss removal we want it out- now! she has continued for 2 years being over shunted.

[EmiliLonneberga]

There is absolutely no reason for you to have low self-esteem because of your shunt. There are professors at the University Hospitals that have been shunted themselves. So you can still be an intelligent person and receive a good education. Many people who have been teased reach far in life. There have been douzens of people who have made it to the top in Hollywood and other areas despite this. Many geniouses and succesful businessmen have been late bloomers.

If you feel pain you should consult your neurologist. There are neurologists spezialized in these issues at University Hospitals. If you have a catheter in your stomach it can cause problems and you need to discuss this with the neurologist. Are there other symptoms? Always write down your questions before you visit your doctor and be well prepaired. Think over what symptoms you have and when they occur. Where and when. Is there anything that increases or decreases the pain. For how long have you been having these symtoms etc. Was there anything that made the symtoms start etc. You taking these matters seriously and writing them down also indicates for the doctor that you yourself take your problems truly seriously and that you have analyzed your situation.

If the shunt does not cause you problems you should not have it removed. There is always a risk with surgery. If you can have it removed or not I cannot answer. Discuss it with your neurologist. They might have to look at CT and MRI to evaluate this. If you have a medical history at a University Hospital with a neurologist that you feel confident with, discuss these matters with him/her!

I hope my answer helped you to some degree.

[tj3207]

My name is terrence and i have had the vp shunt since i was about 2 and i'm 20 now and all my life i've been teased talked about and ridiculed about the shunt and that kind of lowered my self esteem. I always wanted to know if the shunt can be removed, i just want to live a normal life. Also i've been feeling a sharp pain in my stomach where the shunt is if anyone knows what it means please let me know