Shunting

A shunt is a flexible tube that is surgically inserted in the operating room. A shunt redirects the flow of cerebrospinal fluid from the brain to another part of the body where the fluid can be absorbed, usually to the abdominal cavity.

The tubing carrying the fluid runs under the skin from the head to the abdomen, just under the stomach. There is a valve on the shunt that allows your doctor to adjust the flow of the fluid. Your shunt may require periodic adjustment to maintain normal flow.