Shunts are used to drain off excess fluid and relieve high pressure inside the brain. A shunt is simply a catheter, installed under the skin, running from one of the cavities in the brain to a place where the fluid can be absorbed. Shunts can drain to the peritoneal cavity (the space in the belly in-between organs) to the heart or to the chest (pleural) cavity, depending on the age and physiology of the patient. A one-way valve on the catheter keeps body fluids from contaminating the cerebrospinal fluid and only allows drainage when intracranial pressure reaches a preset minimum. Many shunts placed today can also be adjusted externally using a magnetic device to change the pressure limit without the need for additional surgery.
Children's Hospital Boston is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School
