Description:
A long, thin tube that is placed in a ventricle (fluid-filled space) of the brain to drain extra cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that has built up around the brain or spinal cord. It may sometimes be placed in the fluid-filled space between the thin layers of tissue around the spinal cord. The shunt is then threaded under the skin to another part of the body, usually the abdomen, heart, or space between the chest wall and the lungs. The shunt carries extra CSF away from the brain or spinal cord so it may be absorbed elsewhere in the body. This decreases the fluid and pressure on the brain or spinal cord.
