Management of Pre-existing Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Posterior Vault Distraction for Lambdoid Craniosynostosis: A Case Report and Technical Note

Posterior vault distraction osteogenesis (DO) is an emerging treatment option for craniosynostosis. Operative nuances detailing surgical management are being described with increasing use and experience. In this article, we discuss the surgical management of an 8-month-old male with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) diagnosed with bilateral lambdoid craniosynostosis and Chiari I malformation. The patient underwent successful bilateral posterior fossa DO without surgical re-implantation of the shunt. Pre- and post-operative imaging confirmed no migration of the VPS. Intracranial volume increased by 20.1% and posterior fossa volume increased by 39.9%. Our experience illustrates that posterior vault DO can be done safely in the setting of a parieto-occipital VPS, in a single operative setting, without the need of additional procedures.