UK registry monitoring the use of shunts
A small and dedicated team based at Cambridge's Addenbrooke's Hospital is carrying out vital work monitoring the use of shunts throughout the UK and Ireland.
The UK Shunt Registry has a detailed database of the number of shunts fitted, different shunts used and any problems associated with them.
The Registry was set up in 1994 by Professor John Pickard and was funded for the first five years by the Medical Devices Agency (now known as the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, MHRA), which was keen to measure the performance of all hardware.
Dr Hugh Richards, Data Manager, said: “Our main objectives are to define the current state-of-the-art shunt management and to provide an accurate picture of the use of different types of shunt.
“The registry also enables us to identify substandard shunt systems, measure infection rates and also the reasons why shunt revisions are needed.”
Since its launch ten years ago, the Registry has details of 32,000 shunt procedures on its database. Currently about 3,000 shunt procedures are performed every year in the British Isles, including 1,850 new patients being shunted for the first time.
Dr Richards added: “Having this information is extremely valuable and we have discovered that only one third of shunting is carried out because of congenital or Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
“Shunts are more commonly used as a result of acquired hydrocephalus which is a result of brain tumours, blood clots, trauma and cerebral infections. Because patients with shunts are heterogeneous in terms of age and pathology, large datasets are needed for meaningful analysis”
Another vital role of the Registry is to monitor new products on the market.
Dr Richards explained: “New shunts do not have to undergo clinical trials, although they do need approval from the MHRA. Through the registry we can keep watch on new shunts and make sure they are performing to the manufacturers' specifications.”
The team is currently funded by annual contributions from neurosurgical units around the UK and several shunt manufacturers keen to see how their product performs.