A revision is done when the shunt is not working - such as it
malfunctions or there is a blockage or some kind of obstruction that
will prevent it from working completely. It some revisions they just
replace parts of the shunt and in others they replace the entire
shunt. For me, my first revision was when i was 11 and it was because
I had outgrown the shunt tubing and they had to lengthen it. My
second revision was 20 and that was due to a malfunction, once again
they just replaced the shunt tubing. I then had three more revisions
at 21 because of a malfunction and subsequent infection. It was
during one of these revisions that they replaced the valve to my shunt
in addition to the the tubing because of the infection. My last two
revisions were at 24 - and the first revision they just changed the
tubing through my stomach ("distal revision" and didn't have to touch
my head although the shunt affects my head and i was getting
excruciating headaches that signaled the shunt was blocked. But, when
i again had symptoms 3 weeks later they changed the tubing by my head
too and checked the valve.

Elana



--- In hydrocephalus@yahoogroups.com, "MGranadaHome"
<robert_g54463@...> wrote:
>
> Can you explain what a revision is and what they do to do it or what
they
> help??
> Melissa
> ps. I can't do anything exertional or I get a headache and coughing
when I
> get bronchitis is when I really just want someone to put me out of
my misery
> because the h/a lingers that I have to take pain meds for it to go away.
>
>
> > I've had hydrocephalus since I was a born and have had a total of 7
> > revisions since I had a VP shunt placed at 3 weeks of age. I am 26
> > years old (with my last 2 revisions being a year and half ago).
> > Elana
>