Ventriculo-superior sagittal sinus shunt for hydrocephalus.

Fifty-two children with hydrocephalus had ventriculo-superior sagittal sinus shunts installed. Hydrocephalus was communicating in 18 patients and noncommunicating in 34. Eleven patients died in the immediate postoperative period: 2 from intraventricular hemorrhage; 7 from midline tumors, who were moribund on admission; and 2 from postoperative infection. Forty-one patients recovered from the operation, but the 17 who had tumors eventually died from their disease. Of the 24 surviving patients, 7 were lost to follow-up. The remaining 17 patients were followed for one to six years (average, 4 years, 9 months). Of the 24 patients, 9 (37.5%) needed revision of the tube because of blockage, 6 in the intraventricular end and 3 in the sinus end.