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¹İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Departments of Neurosurgery, İstanbul, Turkey
² İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Departments of Biostatistics, İstanbul, Turkey In this article we analyzed 210 children who were underwent shunt operation between the years 1988-1995. The causes of shunt failure in this group of patients and the spreading of these complications over time are evaluated. Shunt revisions were required in 80 of 210 patients and a total of 178 revisions were performed on these patients. Children shunted because of cerebral malformation and aqueductal stenosis were found to be more revised than other cases. The age of the patient at the shunt insertion time did not affect shunt failure. Seventynine percent of the revisions occured in 8 months following the last procedure. Proximal obstruction was the main cause of first, early, Iate and total revisions. The chance of having a functional shunt preeluding shunt revision in the first year after first insertion of a shunt was found to be 68,4 %. Shunt infection, subcutaneous fluid collections and malposition tends to occur soon after surgery and lengthening of distal catheter, underdrainage and valve obstruction later. We conclude that time is a factor contributing to the cause of shunt failure although it is not a reliable factor in predicting the location or type of shunt failure. Keywords : Aktuaryel istatistik, hidrosefali, şant komplikasyonu, ventrikülo-peritoneal şant