Efficacy and Safety of Guideless Catheter Placement Technique in Revision External Ventricular Drainage and Ventricular Shunt Surgery.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the guideless catheter placement technique in revision surgeries for external ventricular drainage (EVD) and ventricular shunt systems to improve treatment outcomes for hydrocephalus.

Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 111 patients who underwent revision surgeries for EVD or ventricular shunt systems at the Istanbul Umraniye Training and Research Hospital from January 2020 to January 2023. Patients' demographic (age, sex), and clinical (cause of hydrocephalus, type of surgery, and postoperative complication rates, specifically for bleeding and catheter malposition) data were extracted from the patient files.

Results: The use of the guideless catheter placement technique significantly reduced postoperative complications, with notably lower rates of bleeding (n=2, 1.8%) and catheter malposition (n=5, 4.5%).

Conclusion: The guideless catheter placement technique is a viable, cost-effective, and efficient approach for revision surgeries in EVD and shunt systems, which can potentially improve the safety and accuracy of catheter placement, reduce complication rates, and ensure favorable patient outcomes associated with revision surgeries for hydrocephalus.