What is an Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy?
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a surgical procedure used to treat children and adults diagnosed with obstructive or non-communicating hydrocephalus.
Shunting, or using a small silicone tube to carry the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to a different body cavity for reabsorption, is the most common treatment for hydrocephalus. While shunts may be lifesaving, they are synthetic devices and may fail for a variety of reasons.
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is an alternative surgical procedure that creates a bypass for the cerebrospinal fluid in the head that eliminates the need for a shunt. It is helpful only to people with hydrocephalus caused by a blockage of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.
Endoscopic means that the surgery is performed with the use of an endoscope. An endoscope is a thin tube that has a strong light, a powerful magnifying lens and an opening where tiny instruments are passed.
Third ventriculostomy refers to the area of the brain where the bypass is made. The most common site of blockage is the narrow pathway between the third and fourth ventricle of the brain. The bypass is made through the thin membrane in the bottom (or floor) of the third ventricle.
The cerebrospinal fluid may then flow from the lateral to the third ventricle and from the third ventricle through the new opening to the normal fluid chambers below the base of the brain.
The cerebrospinal fluid then flows up and over the surface of the brain where it is reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
