A New Tool for Frameless Stereotactic Placement of Ventricular Catheters

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. ons131-ons135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lennart H. Stieglitz ◽  
Mario Giordano ◽  
Madjid Samii ◽  
Wolf O. Luedemann

Abstract BACKGROUND: The accurate position of the ventricular catheter inside the frontal horn of the lateral ventricle is essential to prevent proximal failure in shunt surgery. For optimal placement, endoscopic- and image-guided techniques are available. OBJECTIVE: We introduce a newly constructed tool for quick and safe placement of ventricular catheters. It is mounted on a fixation device and therefore allows the surgeon's optimal concentration on the catheter insertion and feeling for the penetrated tissue. To check the feasibility of the new device, we performed a study with 4 patients. METHODS: Two patients with communicative and 2 patients with noncommunicative hydrocephalus underwent ventricular catheter placement using the new shunt placement tool. Three patients had a complex anatomy of the ventricular system. RESULTS: In all 4 procedures, correct placement of the ventricular catheters was achieved. The additional time needed for preparations did not exceed 15 minutes. The comparison of the postoperative computed tomography scans with the preoperative planning showed good accuracy of the instrument with a mean deviation of the catheter tips from the planned position of 1.5 mm (range 1.0–2.1 mm). CONCLUSION: The new tool allows safe and quick placement of ventricular catheters. The adjustment of the tool to the planned trajectory is performed before catheter insertion and allows optimal concentration on the insertion procedure and the fingertip feeling for the penetrated tissue.

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeki Yamada ◽  
Masatsune Ishikawa ◽  
Kazuo Yamamoto

Abstract BACKGROUND Freehand ventricular catheter placement has been reported to have poor accuracy. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether preoperative computational simulation using diagnostic images improves the accuracy of ventricular catheter placement. METHODS This study included 113 consecutive patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunting via a parieto-occipital approach. The locations of the ventricular catheter placement in the last 48 patients with preoperative virtual simulation on the 3-dimensional workstation were compared with those in the initial 65 patients without simulation. Catheter locations were classified into 3 categories: optimal, suboptimal, and poor placements. Additionally, slip angles were measured between the ventricular catheter and optimal direction. RESULTS All patients with preoperative simulations had optimally placed ventricular catheters; the mean slip angle for this group was 2.8°. Among the 65 patients without simulations, 46 (70.8%) had optimal placement, whereas 10 (15.4%) and 9 (13.8%) had suboptimal and poor placements, respectively; the mean slip angle for the nonsimulation group was 8.6°. The slip angles for all patients in the preoperative simulation group were within 7°, whereas those for 31 (47.7%) and 10 (15.4%) patients in the nonsimulation group were within 7° and over 14°, respectively. All patients with preoperative simulations experienced improved symptoms and did not require shunt revision during the follow-up period, whereas 5 patients (7.7%) without preoperative simulations required shunt revisions for different reasons. CONCLUSION Preoperative simulation facilitates accurate placement of ventricular catheters via a parieto-occipital approach. Minimally invasive and precise shunt catheter placement is particularly desirable for elderly patients with NPH.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Nathan Todnem ◽  
Khoi D. Nguyen ◽  
Vamsi Reddy ◽  
Dayton Grogan ◽  
Taylor Waitt ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEExternal ventricular drain (EVD) placement is one of first cranial procedures neurosurgery residents are expected to perform independently. While proper training improves patient outcomes, there are few options for practicing EVD placement prior to placing the EVD in patients in a clinical setting. Proposed solutions to this include using cadaveric models and virtual simulations, but barriers exist with these as well in regard to authenticity. EVD simulators using virtual reality technologies are a promising new technique for training, but the cost of these devices poses a barrier to general/widespread accessibility among smaller programs or underserved hospitals. The authors desribe a novel, yet simple, and cost-effective technique (less than $5 per mold) for developing a brain model constructed of homemade ballistics gelatin that can be used for teaching and practicing the placement of EVD.METHODSA brain model is made with ballistics gelatin using an anatomically correct skull model as a mold. A 3D-printed ventricular system model is used to create a mold of an anatomically correct ventricular system in the brain model. A group of medical students (n = 10) were given a basic presentation about EVD placement, including standard landmarks and placement techniques, and were also shown a demonstration of EVD placement on the brain model. They were then allowed to perform an EVD placement using the brain model. The students were surveyed on their experience with using the brain model, including usability and practicality of the model. Accuracy of EVD placement by each student was also assessed, with adequate position of catheter tip being in the ipsilateral frontal horn.RESULTSThe final product is fairly inexpensive and easy to make. It is soft enough to pass a catheter through, but it is also firm enough to maintain its shape, including a cavity representing the lateral ventricles. The dense gelatin holds the catheter in its final resting position, while the two halves are separated and inspected. All participants in the test group of medical students reported that the brain model was easy to use, helped them understand the steps and technique of EVD placement, and provided good feedback on the ideal position of ventricular catheters. All of the participants in the group had adequate positioning of their ventricular catheters after one attempt.CONCLUSIONSThe presented brain model is easy to replicate, inexpensive, anatomically accurate, and provides a medium for neurosurgeons to teach and practice ventricular catheter placement in a risk-free environment.


2008 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 930-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. P. Lind ◽  
Amy M. C. Tsai ◽  
Andrew J. J. Law ◽  
Hui Lau ◽  
Kavitha Muthiah

Object The purpose of this study was to compare the margins of error of different shunt catheter approaches to the lateral ventricle and assess surface anatomical aiming landmarks for free-hand ventricular catheter insertion in adult patients with hydrocephalus. Methods Four adults who had undergone stereotactic brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and had normal ventricles, and 7 prospectively recruited adult patients with acute hydrocephalus were selected for inclusion in this study. Reconstructed MR images obtained prior to surgical intervention were geometrically analyzed with regard to frontal, parietal, and parietooccipital (occipital) approaches in both hemispheres. Results The ventricular target zones were as follows: the frontal horn for frontal and occipital approaches, and the atrium/ posterior horn for parietal approaches. The range of possible angles for successful catheter insertion was smallest for the occipital approach (8° in the sagittal plane and 11° in the coronal plane), greater for parietal catheters (23 and 36°), and greatest for the frontal approach in models of hydrocephalic brains (42 and 30°; p < 0.001 for all comparisons except frontal vs parietal, which did not reach statistical significance). There was no single landmark for aiming occipital or parietal catheters that achieved ventricular target cannulation in every case. Success was achieved in only 86% of procedures using occipital trajectories and in 66% of those using parietal trajectories. Conclusions The occipital approach to ventricular catheter insertion provides the narrowest margin of error with regard to trajectory but has less aiming point variability than the parietal approach. The use of patient-specific stereotaxy rather than generic guides is required for totally reliable, first-pass ventricular catheterization via a posterior approach to shunt placement surgery in adults.


Author(s):  
Harischandra Lalgudi Srinvasan ◽  
Ahmed Raslan ◽  
Kantharuby Tambirajoo ◽  
Richard Selway ◽  
Keyoumars Ashkan ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetta L. Pettorini ◽  
Gianpiero Tamburrini ◽  
Luca Massimi ◽  
Massimo Caldarelli ◽  
Concezio Di Rocco

The intracystic injection of chemo- and radiotherapeutic agents was introduced for the treatment of craniopharyngioma to control tumor growth and to delay the potentially harmful effects of surgery or radiation therapy. The positioning of cyst catheters has been performed by means of direct vision, stereotactically guided insertion, and ultrasonographic and ventriculoscopic guidance. The insertion of a catheter into the cyst is not devoid of complications, with an incidence ranging up to 16%, independent of the surgical technique used. Eight patients (mean age 25.8 years) with symptomatic cystic craniopharyngioma were treated by means of an endoscopic transventricular approach for the insertion of an intracystic catheter for intratumoral therapy with interferon-α. A single right precoronal bur hole is made, and the frontal horn of the lateral ventricle is accessed under neuronavigation guidance. A ventricular catheter with an inserted stylet was advanced anterior to the endoscope sheath through the same cortical access as the endoscope and was guided under endoscopic view down to the cyst dome wall. The coagulated surface of the craniopharyngioma cyst was punctured and the tip of the ventricular catheter was advanced; the depth was established preoperatively on MR scans and confirmed by neuronavigation guidance. The proximal end of the cystic catheter was connected to an access chamber to be left in the subcutaneous space, and the endoscope was slowly retracted. The authors' experience favors the use of neuroendoscopic positioning of intracystic catheters as safer than open and stereotactic approaches.


1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew A. Howard ◽  
Jayashree Srinivasan ◽  
Carl G. Bevering ◽  
H. Richard Winn ◽  
M. Sean Grady

✓ Accurate placement of parietooccipital ventricular catheters can be difficult and frustrating. To minimize the morbidity of the procedure and lengthen the duration of shunt function, the catheter tip should lie in the ipsilateral frontal horn. The authors describe a posterior ventricular guide (PVG) for placement of parietooccipital catheters that operates by mechanically coupling the posterior burr hole to the anterior target point. In a series of 38 patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunting with the assistance of the guide, postoperative computerized tomography (CT) scanning revealed that 35 (92.0%) had accurate catheter placement. In comparison, a retrospective review of free-hand posterior catheter placement revealed good catheter position in only 22 of 43 patients (51.1%). The use of the guide added less than 5 minutes to the entire procedure, and there were no complications related to its use. The PVG is a simple and useful tool that aids in the placement of parietooccipital ventricular catheters.


Neurology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 91 (20) ◽  
pp. e1893-e1901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Bergman ◽  
Joachim Burman ◽  
Jonathan D. Gilthorpe ◽  
Henrik Zetterberg ◽  
Elena Jiltsova ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo perform a phase 1b assessment of the safety and feasibility of intrathecally delivered rituximab as a treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) and to evaluate the effect of treatment on disability and CSF biomarkers during a 1-year follow-up period.MethodsThree doses of rituximab (25 mg with a 1-week interval) were administered in 23 patients with PMS via a ventricular catheter inserted into the right frontal horn and connected to a subcutaneous Ommaya reservoir. Follow-ups were performed at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.ResultsMild to moderate vertigo and nausea were common but temporary adverse events associated with intrathecal rituximab infusion, which was otherwise well tolerated. The only severe adverse event was a case of low-virulent bacterial meningitis that was treated effectively. Of 7 clinical assessments, only 1 showed statistically significant improvement 1 year after treatment. No treatment effect was observed during the follow-up period among 6 CSF biomarkers.ConclusionsIntrathecal administration of rituximab was well tolerated. However, it may involve a risk for injection-related infections. The lack of a control group precludes conclusions being drawn regarding treatment efficacy.ClinicalTrials.gov identifierNCT01719159.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class IV evidence that intrathecal rituximab treatment is well tolerated and feasible in PMS but involves a risk of severe infections.


Author(s):  
Philip V. Theodosopoulos ◽  
Aviva Abosch ◽  
Michael W. McDermott

ABSTRACT:Objective:Ventricular catheter placement is a common neurosurgical procedure often resulting in inaccurate intraventricular positioning. We conducted a comparison of the accuracy of endoscopic and conventional ventricular catheter placement in adults.Methods:A retrospective analysis of data was performed on 37 consecutive patients undergoing ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VPS) insertion with endoscopy and 40 randomly selected, unmatched patients undergoing VPS insertion without endoscopy, for the treatment of hydrocephalus of varied etiology. A grading system for catheter tip position was developed consisting of five intraventricular zones, V1-V5, and three intraparenchymal zones, A, B, C. Zones V1 for the frontal approaches and V1 or V2 for the occipital approaches were the optimal catheter tip locations. Postoperative scans of each patient were used to grade the accuracy of ventricular catheter placement.Results:Seventy-six percent of all endoscopic ventricular catheters were in zone V1 and 100% were within zones V1-V3. No endoscopically inserted catheters were observed in zones V4, V5 or intraparenchymally. Thirty-eight percent of the conventionally placed catheters were in zone V1, 53% in zones V1-3 and 15% intraparenchymally. There was a statistically significant difference in the percentage of catheters in optimal location versus in any other location, favoring endoscopic guidance (p<0.001).Conclusion:We conclude that endoscopic ventricular catheter placement provides improved positioning accuracy than conventional techniques.


2005 ◽  
Vol 57 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 100-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
David I. Sandberg ◽  
J. Gordon McComb ◽  
Mark D. Krieger

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess the treatment of progressive multiloculated hydrocephalus by craniotomy for microsurgical fenestration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compartments to minimize the number of ventricular catheters. METHODS: We studied 33 pediatric patients who underwent craniotomies for fenestration of progressive multiloculated hydrocephalus between 1989 and 2003. In 20 of 33 patients, hydrocephalus was attributed to intraventricular hemorrhage associated with prematurity. Twenty-three of 33 patients had previous central nervous system infections. Craniotomy was typically performed via a posterior parietal approach. Communication between bilateral supratentorial loculated compartments and posterior fossa compartments was achieved. Surgical and neurological outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Fenestration of loculated CSF spaces was performed successfully in all patients. No new neurological deficits were noted after surgery, and no patients required intraoperative blood transfusions. CSF infections within 3 months after surgery occurred in 4 of 33 patients. Over a median follow-up period of 3.7 years (range, 1.5 mo to 8.7 yr), 19 of 33 patients required additional fenestration procedures. The number of repeat fenestration procedures ranged from one to six, and a total of 47 additional fenestrations were performed in these 19 patients. The majority of patients (n = 25) ultimately required shunt systems with only one ventricular catheter. The neurological status of these patients was extremely poor both before and after surgery. Twenty-nine of 33 patients were severely delayed, and four were mildly delayed. CONCLUSION: Fenestration of multiloculated CSF compartments can enable most patients to function with a single ventricular catheter shunt system. Neurological status remains poor in this patient population.


2003 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 426-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Lin ◽  
Martin Morris ◽  
William Olivero ◽  
Frederick Boop ◽  
Robert A. Sanford

✓ The treatment of hydrocephalus with shunt insertion is fraught with high failure rates. Evidence indicates that the proximal holes in a catheter are the primary sites of blockage. The authors have studied ventricular catheter designs by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), two-dimensional water table experiments, and a three-dimensional (3D) automated testing apparatus together with an actual catheter. With the CFD model, the authors calculated that 58% of the total fluid mass flows into the catheter's most proximal holes and that greater than 80% flows into the two most proximal sets of holes within an eight-hole catheter. In fact, most of the holes in the catheters were ineffective. These findings were experimentally verified using two completely different methodologies: a water table model of a shunt catheter and a 3D automated testing apparatus with an actual catheter to visualize flow patterns with the aid of ink. Because the majority of flow enters the catheter's most proximal holes, blockages typically occur at this position, and unlike blockages at distal holes, occlusion of proximal holes results in complete catheter failure. Given this finding, new designs that incorporated varying hole pattern distributions and size dimensions of the ventricular catheter were conceived and tested using two models. These changes in the geometrical features significantly changed the entering mass flow rate distribution. In conclusion, new designs in proximal ventricular catheters with variable hole diameters along the catheter tip allowed fluid to enter the catheter more uniformly along its length, thereby reducing the probability of its becoming occluded.


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