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THE USE OF WW(TM) VENTRICULAR PORT FOR NEUROENDOSCOPY – A NOVEL DEVICE AND TECHNIQUE
Author(s) -
Akil H.,
Symons W.,
Wickremesekra A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2009.04924_2.x
Subject(s) - medicine , port (circuit theory) , endoscope , surgery , ventricle , cardiology , electrical engineering , engineering
Purpose: Peel‐away sheaths are widely used to facilitate the intracranial/intraventricular introduction of neuro‐endoscopes. They can be very cumbersome and can cause minor bleeding from the split edges of the sheath. We report on our experience of a WW(TM) ventricular port that we developed at Wellington Hospital. Methodology: The stainless‐steel port is made to fit the 6 mm and 3 mm rigid and flexible neuro‐endoscopes. The port has an outer sheath and inner introducer with a central open channel at length from 1 to 7 cm. The proximal end has a fine adjustable stabilizing screw hat that sits on the outer table of the skull at the margins of the Burr hole. The port is inserted through a Burr hole to tap the ventricle and when cerebrospinal fluid is exiting the central channel, the introducer can be withdrawn and the neuro‐endoscope passed into the ventricle. Results: We have been using this port for the past 4 years for 32 selected cases (25 ETVs, 4 arachnoid cysts, 2 colloid cysts and 1 septum pellucidum fenestration), and have not experienced device related complications. The port has the advantages of atraumatic insertion, stability on the skull, fine adjustability of length, repetitive withdrawal/insertion of the neuro‐endoscope through the port and a central channel for CSF tapping. Conclusion: In our experience this novel ventricular port has proven to be a useful adjunctive device for neuro‐endoscopic procedure, and has the potential to be incorporated with image guidance techniques and as well as other intracranial procedures.