One of the most performed treatments for hydrocephalus, the cerebral shunt, has not changed since it was developed in 1960. The shunt must be implanted through neurosurgery into the patient's brain, a procedure which itself may cause brain damage. An estimated 50% of all shunts fail within two years, requiring further surgery to replace the shunts. In the past 25 years, death rates associated with hydrocephalus have decreased from 54% to 5% and the occurrence of intellectual disability has decreased from 62% to 30%.

A US engineer, father of a kid who died, invented the shunt that saved many 1,000s of lives. The origional shunt has hardly been improved upon in the decades since...

One of the most performed treatments for hydrocephalus, the cerebral shunt, has not changed since it was developed in 1960. The shunt must be implanted through neurosurgery into the patient's brain, a procedure which itself may cause brain damage. An estimated 50% of all shunts fail within two years, requiring further surgery to replace the shunts. In the past 25 years, death rates associated with hydrocephalus have decreased from 54% to 5% and the occurrence of intellectual disability has decreased from 62% to 30%.

A US engineer, father of a kid who died, invented the shunt that saved many 1,000s of lives. The origional shunt has hardly been improved upon in the decades since.

When CAT scans where first in use a large number of UK kids often with up to 90% brain loss, were tested with this condition. Nearly all were either normal or had some exceptional ability. The brain 'rewired' itself. Similar work was done on brain stroke victims where brain was destroyed and again the brain 'rewired'. The work gave exact results on brain functioning in the only way possible. Am I making sense? Without the patients there would be no knowledge!?