Programmable Versus Differential Pressure Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts for Pediatric Hydrocephalus: A 20-Year Single-Center Experience From Saudi Arabia

Background Shunt malfunction is the most common complication after ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) insertion for pediatric hydrocephalus. The incidence of shunt malfunction and the need for VPS revision may be related to the type of valve used in the shunt. Therefore, we aimed to compare the outcome of VPS in the pediatric age group stratified by differential pressure valves (DPV) and programmable shunt valves (PSV). Materials and methods This ethics-approved retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. We included 175 children with congenital hydrocephalus who underwent a shunt insertion or revision between 2003 and 2018 and followed them up to December 2022. The VPS complication and revision rates were compared with the patient’s demographics and shunt valve types. The Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression were used to analyze several variables and subsequent shunt revisions. Results Females represented 52% of the study participants, and the mean age of the patients was 21.7 ± 38.4 months. The main indication for VPS was congenital hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis (40%). The differential shunt valve was used in 78.9% and the PSV in 21.1% of the patients. Surgical complications occurred in 33.7% of the patients. Shunt malfunction and infection occurred in 16% and 11.4% of the patients, respectively. The VPS revision rate was significantly lower when PSV was used (odds ratio = 0.39, P < 0.05). Conclusion Overall, one-third of the studied pediatric cohort required shunt revision at some point during the 15-year follow-up. However, children with PSV had fewer revision rate-related complications compared to children with DPV during the first five years of follow-up.