VP Shunt Take 2 and Yikes!

The CT scan this morning looked good and Jack's cultures remained negative so Dr. Wellons removed Jack's ventriculostomy and replaced his VP shunt this AM. Dr. Price our regular neurosurgeon (in Dallas) wanted to keep the shunt in the back to keep it out of the way of future craniofacial procedures. Dr. Wellons did not want to put the shunt back in exactly where it came out because of the risk of reinfection so that knocked out the back right side of Jack's head. The incision located along the top left rear side of Jack's head (this was where they went in to remove the old left subdural shunt) has an area that is having a bit of difficulty healing so Dr. Wellons did not want to compromise blood flow any further. That knocked out the rear left side of Jack's head. Jack's new VP shunt is located on the top of his head on the left side. Dr. Wellons said that he used the endoscope and looked around in the ventricle. The third ventriculostomy has scarred over so that explains why!
it did n
ot drain the CSF fast enough.
Now the yikes.....in the surgery waiting room, we met a woman whose little boy has had 41 shunt related surgeries and he is about 5 months younger than Jack. She said that the nurses on the neurology floor told her that there has been a recent increase in shunt infections--so not what I wanted to hear.
Jack is back in his room and resting. We should get out of here tomorrow if all goes well.

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