Early surgical management and long-term surgical outcome for intraventricular hemorrhage–related posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in shunt-treated premature infants

OBJECTIVE Perinatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature neonates may lead to severe neurological disability and lifelong treatment requirement for consecutive posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHHC). Early CSF diversion as a temporizing measure, or a permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS), is the treatment of choice. Preterm neonates are not only at high risk for different perinatal but also for treatment-related complications. The authors reviewed their institutional neurosurgical management for preterm neonates with IVH-related PHHC and evaluated shunt-related surgical outcome for this particular hydrocephalus etiology after completion of a defined follow-up period of 5 years after initial shunt insertion. METHODS The authors retrospectively analyzed early surgical management for preterm newborns who presented with IVH and PHHC between 1995 and 2015. According to the guidelines, patients received implantation of a ventricular access device (VAD) for temporizing measures or direct VPS insertion as first-line surgical treatment. Surgical outcome was evaluated for a subgroup of 72 patients regarding time to first shunt revision and the mean number of shunt revisions during a time span of 5 years after initial shunt insertion. Gestational age (GA), extent of IVH, and timing and modality of initial surgical intervention were analyzed for potential impact on corresponding surgical outcome. RESULTS A total cohort of 99 preterm newborns with GAs ranging from 22 to 36 weeks (mean 28.3 weeks) with perinatal IVH-related PHHC and a median follow-up duration of 9.9 years postpartum could be selected for further investigation. Extent of perinatal IVH was defined as grade III or as periventricular hemorrhagic infarction in 75% of the patient cohort. Seventy-six patients (77%) underwent VAD insertion and temporizing measures as initial surgical treatment; for 72 (95%) of these a later conversion to permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunting was performed, and 23 patients received direct VPS insertion. Etiological and treatment-related variables revealed no significant impact on revision-free shunt survival but increased the mean numbers of shunt revisions after 5 years for low GA, higher-order IVH in the long term. CONCLUSIONS Low GA and higher-order IVH in preterm neonates with PHHC who are treated with VPSs show no significant impact on time to first shunt revision (i.e., revision-free shunt survival), but marked differences in mean revision rates evaluated after completion of 5 years of follow-up. Temporizing measures via a VAD represent a rational strategy to gain time and decision guidance in preterm patients with PHHC before permanent VPS insertion.