Objective: The authors designed a low-profile device for reliable ventricular access and prospectively studied its safety, efficacy, and accuracy at a large academic center.
Methods: A novel device for ventricular entry, the Device for Intraventricular Entry (DIVE) guide, was designed and created by the first and senior authors. Fifty patients undergoing external ventricular drainage (EVD) or shunt placement were prospectively enrolled for DIVE-assisted catheter placement at a single academic center. The primary outcome was the catheter tip location on postprocedural CT. Secondary outcomes included number of catheter passes, clinically significant hemorrhages, and procedure-related infections.
Results: Fifty patients were enrolled. Indications included subarachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, hydrocephalus, pseudotumor, and postsurgical wound drainage. In total, 76% (38/50) of patients underwent right-sided placement and 24% (12/50) underwent left-sided placement. All 100% (50/50) of patients had successful cannulation with an average of 1.06 passes. Postprocedural head CT confirmed ipsilateral frontal horn or third ventricle placement (Kakarla grade 1) in 92% (46/50) of patients and placement in the contralateral lateral ventricle in 8% (4/50) (Kakarla grade 2). There were no clinically significant track hemorrhages or procedural infections.
Conclusions: This single-center prospective study investigated the safety and efficacy of DIVE-assisted ventricular access. In total, 100% of procedures had successful ventricular cannulation, with 92% achieving Kakarla grade 1, with an average of 1.06 passes without any clinical complications.
Keywords: extraventricular drain; hydrocephalus; medical device; subarachnoid hemorrhage; surgical technique; ventricular access; ventricular shunt.