By Leigh Farmer 

VCU Health’s Neurosurgery Department is involved in a groundbreaking clinical study that is intended to enable patients suffering from symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) to recover quicker and with fewer complications. VCU Health is one of only a dozen hospitals in the United States selected to participate in this study.

NPH is a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid at the base of the neck, causing pressure on the brain. The symptoms of NPH – changes in gait, incontinence, and dementia – are often mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease. The condition develops in 3% of people over the age of 65. However, according to the Hydrocephalus Association, only 20% of people with the disease are properly diagnosed with the condition.

Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, the symptoms of NPH can often be effectively treated with surgery, though the procedure is invasive and carries certain risks. Used for decades, the standard treatment for NPH involves the surgical implantation of a ventricular peritoneal (VP) shunt into the ventricle of the brain. This requires drilling a hole in the patient’s skull to insert the shunt, followed by placement of a permanent drain that runs from the shunt to the abdomen.

A new, investigational device has been designed to make the procedure for draining the fluid buildup much easier and potentially safer for patients. VCU Health’s NPH neurosurgery team is involved in a groundbreaking clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the CereVasc® eShunt® Implant.

“The eShunt implant can be delivered to the fluid buildup by making a tiny incision in the leg. Everything is done within the blood vessels themselves and the excess fluid is absorbed by the body,” said John Reavey-Cantwell, M.D., a VCU Health neurosurgeon involved in the study.

Reavey-Cantwell has successfully implanted this new shunt in several patients at VCU Health as part of the ongoing pilot study, including 69-year-old Bill Hobgood. He was discharged from the hospital the next day pursuant to the pilot study protocol. One month later, Hobgood says he is experiencing very few NPH symptoms.

“I feel like I had everybody's attention and support,” Hobgood said. “The staff has been great, from consultation to the diagnosis all the way through the procedure.”

When Hobgood first sought treatment for his symptoms he was told he was just “suffering from old age.” He knew something more was happening, so he sought out VCU Health’s neurosurgeons who quickly diagnosed him with NPH.

VCU Health has one of the longest-running NPH clinics in the country and the work of its doctors has resulted in the current global standard of care. In fact, the first clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of NPH were developed with the help of VCU Health providers.

“I’ve been here since 2008. I’ve been doing clinical trials since that time. There is no study that I’ve been as enthusiastic about as this one,” Reavey-Cantwell said.

The eShunt® Implant is in the investigational stage and has not been approved for commercial use in any country, except within limited clinical studies. VCU Health is one of twelve medical centers in the country authorized to participate in the pilot trial, which is evaluating the device for NPH treatment.