Today is the twentieth day of Hydrocephalus Awareness Month and I thought I would talk about two different kinds of shunts. The first one being a VP Shunt and the second one being a VA Shunt. Now you might think to yourself what is the difference between them? You might think to yourself, well are they just the same? Isn't a VP Shunt and A VA Shunt the same and not different from another? To answer those questions I would like to share one more thing, so that it helps you learn the difference of these two shunts that you see in this photo. Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) Shunt. VP shunts are the most common type of shunt for draining excess CSF. These shunts generally contain a pressure-sensitive valve that releases CSF once the pressure reaches a certain level VP shunts, a catheter is inserted into the ventricle with tubing tunnelled subcutaneously down the thorax and then further tunnelled into the peritoneal cavity where the CSF is absorbed. Now I would like to share the definition of what a VA Shunt is. VA shunts are less common than VP shunts and the only difference between them is that rather than finishing in the peritoneal cavity, the VA shunt finishes in the right atrium of the heart and CSF is absorbed via our blood stream. Now before I close out today's post, I would like to share the link to the website that I got the definitions about the two shunts I have shared in the photo. In the link I will be sharing, it will give a definition of a shunt that I didn't talk about tonight, and a little more about Hydrocephalus as well. I hope that as you continue to read, you'll continue to learn and be educated of why this month is so important to me. Here is the link. https://www.ausmed.com/cpd/articles/hydrocephalus-and-shunts . September is Hydrocephalus Awareness Month and It Matters To Me and to those living with it everyday. 
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