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.

[EmiliLonneberga]

I have searched the internet for years on this subject.
Search for the Japanese doctor Takahashi on the internet and interesting articles come up.
Here are some of the best links so far:

Shunt Removal – Is it ever worth the risks?

http://www.e-flanc.net/biblioteca/Shunt%20Removal%20-%20Is%20It%20Ever%20Worth%20the%20Risks.pdf

http://www.diaceph.com/PowerPointFiles/Shunt Technology Perspectives.Aschoff.etal.ppt

http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=000321921

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=4649268

Please post good links when you find them!

[Jaywill12]

I had put mine in at 2 months old. At 17 my brother and I were wrestling and he snapped it around where my appendix is. I asked to remove it and all they could get out was the pump. They said if I wanted it all removed they would have to cut all the way down but I didn't want that big of a scar.

[bhashi77]

i'm a sri lankan mother.  i have a daughter. now she is 5years old.  she had a vp shunt.  shunt putting when she 02 months. but not any one replace yet.
i want to know that can be the remove

[bhashi77]

i'm a sri lankan mother.  i have a daughter. now she is 5years old.  she had a vp shunt.  shunt putting when she 02 months. but not any one replace yet.
i want to know that can be the remove

[Dscomp]

My son had his shunt placed in 1997 when he was 2.  He is 16 now and wants it out. We just went to the NS and asked to have it removed. My son has never had a shunt revision or any issues with it.  So the NS said yes he would take it out in a 2 step process. He would tie it off and wait and watch for a couple weeks and then we could schedule an appointment and have the whole thing removed.   I am concerned that he might have to go back in and have it put back in, but since he is 16 I am letting him make the choice.  His dx back in 1997 was pilcytic   Astrocytoma in his brain stem.

[roosterb1967]

I have had a shunt since I was only 9 and I am now 43. I had it implanted shortly after having surgery in 1977 to remove a Pilocytic Astrocytoma that was in my brain stem. It was found to be inoperable so radiation treatments were started soon after. I've never had any revisions made and it remained functional for many years. Many years later after I began working it started to effect my attendance; I was having headaches almost daily that were bad enough to keep me home in bed. A portion of the tube was removed from my neck to release tension that was created from my growing to 6'-1" and packing on over 100 lbs of muscle from lifting weights. But until that point it really did not effect my childhood too much, I was told by more than one neurosurgeon they would not remove the remainder of it for fear or infection. I empathize with those of you dealing with this issue, but all will be OK. I came to the conclusion I'd rather keep it than go through another brain surgery.