Patterns and Rates of Early Complications in Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy for Obstructive Hydrocephalus

Objective:  To evaluate the frequency and pattern of early complications of endoscopic third ventriculostomy in patients with obstructive hydrocephalus. Materials and Methods:  This descriptive case series was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery, MTI/Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, involving patients diagnosed with obstructive hydrocephalus who underwent third endoscopic ventriculostomy under general anesthesia, followed by a seven-day monitoring period for complications such as wound infection, CSF leak, seizures, and meningitis. Results:  A total of 127 patients were enrolled. The patients' ages varied from 6 months to sixty years. The mean age of the patients was 36.41 ± 9.36 years. Male to female ratio was 2.4:1. Overall complications were observed in 20 patients (15.7%). The most common complication was a CSF leak observed in 07 patients (5.5%), followed by wound infection in 05 patients (3.9%), meningitis and seizures were reported in 4 patients (3.1%) each. Conclusion:  In terms of complications, endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a safe procedure with a lower complication rate. The CSF leak was the most common reported complication.