MSU Extension Service
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A new technique developed by a Mississippi State University veterinarian may improve the long-term management of obstructive hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, in small animals by reducing the rate of surgical complications.
“A similar technique is now used in human infants because, with traditional shunt placement, they can experience a complication rate of about 35 percent within the first two years,” said Dr. Andy Shores, chief of neurosurgery at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. “In small animals, statistics show a complication rate of 25 to 50 percent for traditional shunts, and maybe even higher in very young dogs and cats that have much smaller heads. So we looked for a way to improve the procedure of removing excess fluid off the brain in puppies and kittens.” Read more...
