Spina Bifida Surgery and the Need for Shunts

A new study shows that infants who need spina bifida surgery are more apt to require a shunt when the defect is located higher on the spine. Conducted by researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (PS, USA), the study was published in the March 2002 issue of Pediatrics.

The researchers reported on 297 infants who underwent surgery shortly after birth to close spina bifida lesions. Overall, 81% required surgical placement of a shunt to carry away excess spinal fluid and prevent a life-threatening buildup of pressure. In a previous study, to avoid the neurologic injury that may occur before or during birth, doctors performed surgery for spina bifida on the fetus before birth. Only one of nine surviving infants who underwent this surgery required a shunt within six months of surgery.

"In addition to helping design a future trial of fetal surgery, our findings provide physicians with more information with which to counsel parents of infants with spina bifida about their prognosis,” said Leslie N. Sutton, M.D., director of neurosurgery at The Children's Hospital and co-author of the study.




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