Hydrocephalus Treatment in Sharjah

What is hydrocephalus?

The brain sits in a clear liquid called cerebrospinal fluid, which is made continuously inside four connected chambers, flows around the brain and spinal cord, and is absorbed back into the bloodstream. Hydrocephalus develops when that balance breaks down, either because the flow is blocked or because the fluid is absorbed too slowly. The chambers widen, and the pressure on the surrounding brain tissue rises.

It appears at every stage of life. In babies it may be present from birth or follow bleeding in the brain after a premature delivery. In children and adults it can follow a head injury, meningitis, a bleed or a growth that narrows a fluid channel. In older adults a slower form called normal pressure hydrocephalus develops gradually and is easily mistaken for ageing.

At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, hydrocephalus is assessed and treated by our neurosurgeon, working with paediatric and critical care colleagues. The broader range of brain and spine conditions is described on the Neurosurgery page.

Who needs it

Treatment is considered for anyone whose scan shows enlarged fluid chambers together with symptoms that match. In a baby, the first sign is often a head that grows faster than expected on the growth chart, with a tense soft spot on top of the head, poor feeding or unusual sleepiness. Older children and adults tend to describe headaches that are worse on waking, vomiting, blurred vision or drowsiness.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus has a pattern worth recognising. Walking changes first: short, shuffling steps with the feet seeming stuck to the floor, followed by memory slowing and then urgency or leaking of urine. Families often put all three down to age, yet this combination points to a condition that can improve with treatment.

The decision is made from a CT or MRI scan, a neurological examination and your history. For suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus, a test removal of fluid through a lumbar puncture, with walking timed before and after, helps show who is likely to benefit. Where the pressure has risen slowly and symptoms are mild, careful monitoring with repeat scans is a recognised alternative. Your child's development may also be followed by paediatric neurology.

What happens

The commonest treatment is a shunt: a thin, soft tube placed under general anaesthetic that carries excess fluid from a chamber in the brain, under the skin of the neck and chest, into the abdomen, where the body absorbs it naturally. A small valve along the tube controls how much fluid drains. Some valves are adjustable from outside the head with a magnet, so the setting can be changed without another operation.

For some types of blockage, an endoscopic procedure may be offered instead. Through a small opening in the skull, the surgeon creates a new pathway so fluid can bypass the blockage, leaving the body free of a permanent tube. Your surgeon explains which option suits the cause, and where a specialised approach is the better choice it is arranged by referral.

After surgery you are monitored closely, and a scan checks the position of the shunt. More complex cases are cared for with the neurological critical care team.

Preparing for it

Before a planned operation you have blood tests and an anaesthetic assessment; see Anaesthesiology. Bring every previous brain scan on disc, especially if an operation was recommended abroad, so the images can be compared directly.

Tell the team about every medicine you take, with blood thinners and diabetes medicines each needing a specific plan. For a baby or child, a parent stays close and the team explains each step in advance. In the UAE, insurance pre-approval is usually needed for the scans and for the operation, so starting the paperwork early keeps the date on track.

Afterwards

Most people go home with small healed wounds on the head and abdomen and a gradual return to normal activity. A shunt is designed to stay in place for life, and follow-up visits check that it keeps working as the body changes. Keep a card or phone note with your shunt type and valve setting, and mention it before any MRI scan, since adjustable valves are rechecked afterwards. Carry these details on long-haul flights and holidays, and drink plenty of water in the summer heat or while fasting in Ramadan, so an ordinary dehydration headache is easier to tell apart.

For normal pressure hydrocephalus, walking tends to respond first, and continence and memory follow in some people.

Go to the emergency department immediately for headache, vomiting, drowsiness or confusion in someone with a shunt, and in babies a bulging soft spot, unusual irritability or a high-pitched cry, as these can mean the shunt is blocked. Contact the hospital about fever, redness or fluid along the shunt track, or a return of walking or memory problems.

Cost and insurance

Most UAE plans cover assessment, scans and shunt surgery for hydrocephalus once pre-approval is in place, and follow-up scans and valve checks are usually approved as they arise. Our team can help you prepare the approval request and confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.