Laparoscopically guided peritoneal insertion in ventriculoperitoneal shunts.

A technique of laparoscopically guided insertion of the peritoneal end of ventriculoperitoneal shunts is described. Eleven consecutive cases were done in this manner. There were no failures in inserting the peritoneal end of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter. By way of comparison, 11 previous cases were reviewed. These were done through standard open methods. There were two failures in the open technique group. One of the failures was the result of insertion of the peritoneal end into the subcutaneous layer in an extremely obese patient. It is our belief that this technique deserves consideration when a ventriculoperitoneal shunt is contemplated in adults.