ReviewCureus2025
A Systematic Review of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Valve Types and Failure Rates in Paediatric Hydrocephalus.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Predictors and causes of 30-day failure after shunt placement in pediatric hydrocephalus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Paediatric hydrocephalus remains a significant cause of morbidity, primarily managed by ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. Despite technological advances, shunt valves frequently fail, resulting in high revision rates. This systematic review aims to evaluate and compare shunt valve types in paediatric hydrocephalus, assessing survival rates, complication profiles, and revision requirements. A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. Eligible studies included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses comparing at least two valve types (adjustable, fixed-pressure, gravitational, anti-siphon, or flow-regulating) in patients aged ≤18 undergoing initial VP shunt insertion. Data were synthesised narratively and, where appropriate, via random-effects meta-analysis, using shunt survival as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included types of shunt failure, revision rates, time to first revision, and the influence of patient-related factors. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising one meta-analysis, three systematic reviews, two RCTs, and eight observational studies. No valve design consistently demonstrated superior overall shunt survival (RR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.91-1.36, I² = 69%). Adjustable valves reduced early revisions, particularly in young patients with dynamic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) physiology. Gravitational and flow-regulated valves lowered overdrainage complications but increased underdrainage risks. Obstruction was the predominant failure type across valve types. Higher failure rates occurred in infants and those with post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus. No single shunt valve type emerged as universally superior. Valve selection should be individualised based on patient age, aetiology, and clinical context. Future multicentre trials using standardised outcomes are needed to guide optimal valve choice.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.