What to Expect at Home

Any stitches or staples that you can see will be taken out in about 7 days.

All parts of the shunt are underneath the skin. At first, the area at the top of the shunt may be raised up underneath the skin. As the swelling goes away and your child's hair grows back, there will be a small raised area about the size of a quarter that will not be noticeable.

Self-care

Do not shower or shampoo your child’s head until their stitches and staples have been taken out. Give your child a sponge bath instead. The wound should not soak in water at all until the skin is completely healed.

Do not push on the part of the shunt that you can feel or see underneath your child’s skin behind the ear.

Your child should be able to eat their normal diet when they go home.

Your child should be able to do most activities.

• If you have a baby, handle your baby the way you would normally. It is okay to bounce your baby.
• Older children can perform most regular activities. Talk with your doctor about contact sports.
• Most of the time, your child may sleep in any position. Ask your doctor or nurse.

Your child may have some pain when they go home. Children under 4 years old may take acetaminophen (Tylenol). Children age 4 and older may be prescribed stronger pain medicines, if needed.

When to Call the Doctor

The major problems to watch for are an infected shunt and a blocked shunt.

Call your child’s doctor if your child has:

• Confusion or seems less aware
• Fever of 101 °F or higher
• Pain in the belly that does not go away
• Stiff neck or headache
• No appetite or is not eating well
• Veins on the head or scalp that look larger than they used to
• Problems in school
• Poor development or has lost a developmental skill previously attained
• Become more cranky or irritable
• Redness, swelling, bleeding, or increased discharge from the incision
• Vomiting that does not go away
• Sleep problems or is more sleepy than usual
• High-pitched cry
• Been looking more pale
• A head that is growing larger
• Bulging or tenderness in the soft spot at the top of the head
• A seizure

Alternate Names

Shunt - ventriculoperitoneal - discharge; VP shunt - discharge; Shunt revision - discharge

References

Etilogical categories of neurological disease. In: Goetz CG, ed. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 28.

Kinsman SL, Johnston MV. Congential anomalies of the central nervous system. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 592.

Update Date: 7/23/2012

Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.