Ventriculoperitoneal shunting is surgery to treat excess
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain (hydrocephalus This
article discusses this type of surgery in children. This
procedure is done in the operating room under general
anesthesia. It takes about 1 1/2 hours. An area of hair on the
child's head is shaved off. This may be behind the ear, or on
the top or back of the head. The surgeon makes a cut in the
shape of a horseshoe (U-shape) behind the ear. Another small
surgical cut is made in the child's belly. A small hole is
drilled in the skull. A small thin tube called a catheter is
passed into a ventricle of the brain. This can be done with or
without a computer as a guide. It can also be done with an
endoscope that allows to see inside the ventricle. Another
catheter is placed under the skin behind the ear and moved down
the neck and chest, and usually into the belly area. Sometimes,
it stops at the chest area. The doctor may make a small cut in
the neck to help position it. A valve (fluid pump) is place