communicating hydrocephalus

judie · Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 1

I am desperate for my 2 years old son is diagnosed with communicating hydrocephalus â€“he had his head ultrasound few days ago for it was so obviously his head started growing rapidly and all this is accompanied with nausea and vomiting and he is sleepy all the time. Anyway I am suppose to have my next appointment with his doc tomorrow but would like to hear what the term communicating hydrocephalus actually means and is there anyone with the same experience to tell me how effective is the communicating hydrocephalus treatment? Thanks!

georgette · Newbie Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 3

Hi! I also have a son that was diagnosed at about the same age with communicating hydrocephalus which indicate the exact cause of his hydrocephalus condition that is related to the problems with absorption and production of CFS which is caused actually by the bleeding into the brain space which is condition commonly known as subarachnoid hemorrhage. Anyway no matter whether it is about non communicating or communicating hydrocephalus the treatment is the same and it consists of the surgery-there is no other way to treat this communicating or some other type of hydrocephalus practically- so my son had so called shunt system surgery approach â€“that consists of making sort of artificial channel using some silicon tube that makes the CSF not to flow toward the brain but to elsewhere in the body where is about to be easily absorbed. And what is the best my son's head after a while regained the normal size and it also resulted in reliving his communicating hydrocephalus symptoms and we are now about to replace his shunt system for he is now almost 12 and has grown up and he needs another shunt system and this time this one is suppose to work for life-at least that is what I hope for despite the fact that this shunt surgery is no without complications that could lead to slow drainage of CSF or its over drainage and if such is the case the revision of shunt system is usually performed but it all went ok so far in my son's case. Of course once the shunt system is being done frequent monitoring and follow ups are the must just in order to avoid some possible complications I have mentioned but that is something you would make a habit on and anyway I know if shunt system fails than there is another communicating hydrocephalus treatment opt known as ventriculostomy but I am not familiar with its details.

communicating hydrocephalus

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