Anesthetic Considerations for Ventriculoatrial Shunt Insertion in a Child with Cerebrospinal Fluid Ascites

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ascites is a rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt, where CSF accumulates in the peritoneal cavity as a result of defective absorption. Alternate CSF diversion procedure such as ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt is another way of managing this complication. Although there are reports published on this condition, the scientific literature hardly discussed the anesthetic management in such scenario. Here, we describe such a case with particular attention to perioperative management during VA shunt insertion for CSF ascites.