Analysis of shunted hydrocephalus follow-up: What do routine clinic visits yield? What factors affect revision surgery presentation and outcomes?

Abstract

Frequency and duration of outpatient clinic follow-up for patients with shunted hydrocephalus varies among clinicians and assessment of follow-up regimens is lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate whether routine clinic visits alter care and whether they identify patients requiring shunt revision surgery, as well as, to better understand how patients utilize the outpatient clinic and present for shunt revision evaluation. This is a single-centered retrospective study of 154 patients requiring shunt revision surgery from 2009 to 2018 who had at least one prior clinic evaluation. The median age for shunt placement and revision were 3 months and 11 years old, respectively. Routine clinic visits led to a change in care for 16 patients (10.4%); including additional imaging, follow-up, or a combination of the two. With regards to revision surgery, days from prior shunt surgery, Chiari II/myelomeningocele pathology, and shunt type (p < 0.01) did affect time to presentation. Four patients (2.6%) requiring revision surgery were identified at routine clinic follow-up, while 92 (59.7%) and 47 (30.5%) presented to the emergency department and clinic sick visit, respectively. Presentation to clinic resulted in a statistically significant decrease in shunt revision surgery length-of-stay compared to presentation to the emergency department or inpatient admission for another condition. Even with increased emergency room utilization, increased clinic connectivity, and improved patient education, routine clinic visits remain an important component in the follow-up of patients with shunted hydrocephalus by helping to guide clinical care and identify patients requiring shunt revision surgery.

Keywords: Follow-up; Outcomes; Outpatient; Presentation location; Routine clinic visits; Shunt revision surgery; Shunted hydrocephalus.