Quality of life and psychomotor development after surgical treatment of hydrocephalus.

The purpose of this report is to analyse the long-term outcome in hydrocephalic children treated by shunt insertion, in particular their psycho-intellectual development and quality of life. We studied 46 patients aged 3 - 21, who had been operated on in the Department of Paediatric Surgery of the Medical University of Bialystok between 1982 - 2000 and had had ventriculo-peritoneal shunts inserted during their first year of life. Data from anamnesis and medical documentation were analysed. Age-appropriate psychomotor development and IQ tests were carried out: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Revised (WISC-R) (for children between the ages of 6 and 16), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Revised (WAIS-R PL) (for adults), Brunet-Lezine psychometric scale (early childhood), and Terman-Merril intelligence scale (children younger than 3). The final IQs were above 90 in 30 % of children, between 70 and 90 in 24 %, between 50 and 70 in 26 %, and lower than 50 in 20 %. 69 % of patients presented with neurological deficits and visual or auditory deficits were found in 22 %. Integration into normal schools was possible for 58.7 % of the children, one of whom is now a second year medical student. A relationship between shunt malfunction and the children's development was observed. An essential aspect of caring for hydrocephalic children is their rehabilitation and integration into society. Early physical rehabilitation, stimulation of psychological development, and continued monitoring by a paediatric surgeon to ensure proper functioning of the shunts will improve the independence of such children in their families and among their peers.