Role of Ommaya Reservoir in Pediatric Hydrocephalus: Experience in Bangladesh Medical College Hospital from 2019-2021.

The goal of this study was to analyze the efficacy of the Ommaya reservoir within all the different types of hydrocephalus in pediatric patients. At the same time, it's safe for repeated aspirations or long-term retention of the reservoir in the body. This retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed from January 2019 to December 2021, 33 consecutive cases of reservoir implantation were taken into the study irrespective of the etiology of hydrocephalus in the Neurosurgery Department of Bangladesh Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. These were mostly placed along with endoscopic third ventriculostomy and some were placed as an intermediary procedure to combat shunt complications in emaciated infants. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) aspiration was done in case of failed endoscopic third ventriculostomy and the frequency of aspiration depended upon the production of cerebrospinal fluid. Acetazolamide was routinely administered in each patient to reduce the frequency of aspiration. Most of the patients required ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt while they had sufficient body weight and few required no surgery. The average age at presentation was 76.88 days. All the neonates and infants had less weight in terms of their age. 42.4% of babies needed aspiration 2 times per week. Among all cases, 9.1% developed reservoir complications. Complications were not related to the number and volume of aspiration or duration of the reservoir in the body. Two (2) patients died after one year of reservoir implantation due to unknown etiology. Out of the 31 survivors, 3 patients did not need any further aspiration and 19 patients needed a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, but the reservoir was kept in situ for a future emergency. The rest of them is waiting for a definitive shunt procedure. Other findings include low socioeconomic group was more prone to low birth weight and they carried the burden of congenital hydrocephalus and meningomyelocele. Most affected babies had their prenatal period in arsenic-affected areas in Bangladesh. Overall folic acid supplementation was started after the formation of the neural tube irrespective of socioeconomic status. Ommaya reservoir placement along with endoscopic third ventriculostomy plays a vital role in delaying shunt in endoscopic third ventriculostomy failure. It is a 'time buying' procedure until the baby has sufficient weight for successful shunt surgery. It has been found very effective intermediary intervention for managing shunt infection and it also helps revive a channel in shunt obstruction.