Endoscopic Treatment of Hydrocephalus with Minimal Resources: Resource Utilization and Indigenous Innovation in Developing Countries like India

CONTEXT: Neuroendoscopic surgeries need specialized equipments, unavailable in neurosurgical departments of majority of public healthcare institutions of India. Aims: Neuroendoscopic treatment of hydrocephalus in the setting of minimal resources using utilization of available resources, inter-departmental co-ordination and indigenous innovations. METHODS: Study was carried out at a public sector institute of India with scarce resources. Senior author (DKJ) used indigenously designed stainless steel working sheath along with equipments of ‘awake endoscopic intubation system’ of department of neuroanesthesia and 18 cm, 4 mm, 0° rigid telescope for neuroendoscopic surgeries for various intraventricular pathologies. RESULTS: Thirty-four neuroendoscopic surgeries in 32 patients were done over last 3 years. There were 18 males and 14 females with average age of 23 years. It included hydrocephalus due to tubercular meningitis (n = 19), neurocysticercosis (NCC) (n = 4), intra-ventricular (n = 2) and para-ventricular (n = 2) space occupying lesions, aqueduct stenosis with (n = 2) or without (n = 1) shunt malfunction and one case each of pyogenic meningitis and right cerebellar infarction. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) (n = 28), septostomy (n = 6), removals of cystic lesions (n = 3) and biopsies of intraventricular lesions (n = 2) were done in a total of 34 neuroendoscopic surgeries. Overall there were four failures of ETVs, which were managed by ventriculo-peritoneal shunts. Two mortalities in the study group were unrelated to the surgical procedures. CONCLUSION: Indigenous innovations and interdisciplinary co-ordination are the way ahead to tackle resource scarcity in public sector healthcare institutions of India in the scenario of plenty of neuroendoscopic trainings opportunities for young neurosurgeons and paucity of equipments required.