Time to take a look at previous shunt revisions. Beginning with the first one. I was born three months early in December 1981. I was not expected until March 1982. In May 1982 when I was 7 months old, I had a brain bleed ( which is common for preemie babies) I wouldn't stop crying and I eventually had a seizure and was rushed to the Emergency Room.
The following is the operative report and diagnosis:
Surgical Operative Note
Date: 5/7/82
Operation: Right Ventricular Peritoneal Shunt
Post Operative Diagnosis: Hydrocephalus
Anesthetic: General Endotracheal Utilizing Halothane
Procedure:
The patient was brought to the operating suite, anesthetized, intubated and placed on the operating table. Head was turned toward the left shoulder. Head, neck and abdomen were suitably shaved, prepped and draped and then a curvilinear incision in the intrapupillary line just in front of the cornal suture on the right side was made through skin carried on down to the skull.
Small craniectomy was performed. The dura was coagulated and divided as was the pia archnoid. a Rickham ventricular catheter was placed into the right lateral ventricle in a single passage and connected to a standard Richkam Reservoir which was connected and turned to a medium pressure spring distal abdominal catheter.
The spring distal abdominal catheter was brought by means of a subcutaneous tunneling device down to a skin incision which was made just above and lateral to the umbillius on the right side of the abdomen.
The abdominal incision was approximately 5 cms long. It was made through the skin, carried on down to the anterior rectus sheath and peritoneum were opened sharply whereupon a spring distal abdominal catheter was placed into the abdominal cavity.
All wounds were irrigated with Bacitracin solution and then the posterior sheath and peritoneum were closed with a #4-0 suture of neurilon. The anterior sheath as closed with #4-0 dexon sutures and then the subcutaneous tissues and the gale were closed with #4-0 interrupted dexon sutures. The skin was closed in all instances with #4-0 ethilon sutures.
Standard dressings were placed on the wound and the patient taken back to the Recovery Room in satisfactory condition.
Dictated by M.D.
D: 5/10/82
T: 5/11/82
I am not the first or last person to have major surgery at such a young age. From what I've been told, after I had my first shunt was placed, I was the happiest baby ever. Nothing bothered me again after that.
The next revision would be when I was three....
The Timeline Series is a good review of things that were going on in 1981 and 1982.
