CT scan

Carly had her 3 month post-op CT scan yesterday. She did great! After her scan we went right over to see Dr. Moss for the results. Carly still has slit vents. We had hoped that adding the siphon valve and changing her pressures that her vents would increase in size slightly. Dr. Moss thinks that because her first shunt was set so high and she was decompressed so rapidly and it stayed that way for so long that she will always have slit vents. I asked about increasing her pressures but since she is not showing any symptoms that the slit vents are giving her trouble there is no reason to mess with it. He said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." So unless she starts having headaches, vomiting or other neuro issues we will leave it the way it is. The problem with having such small ventricles is that there is less cushion to protect the brain from unjury and an increased risk of shunt obstruction. Since this condition is most likely permanent we just have to make the best of it. He said we will see him in a year for another shunt series and MRI. Yay!

(figure A shows slit ventricles in a shunted patient. Figure B shows normal ventricle size)

(Carly's ventricles 1 month before birth)