How does a surgeon treat hydrocephalus?
A surgeon will operate to provide a way for the excess CSF to leave the brain safely. Typically, a surgeon will place a ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt in the brain. This is a tube hidden inside the body that connects ventricles (the CSF reservoir in the brain) to his peritoneal cavity (the space in the abdomen that contains the stomach and other organs). Because the head sits higher than the peritoneal cavity, the excess CSF flows down into the peritoneal cavity, where the cavity lining absorbs it. This restores the normal balance of CSF and normal functioning to the brain.
