Objectives The use of a temporising device to facilitate neonatal maturation prior to permanent ventricular peritoneal shunt (VPS) remains gold standard treatment for neonatal posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH). The relative superiority of ventricular access device (VAD) or ventricular subgaleal shunt (VSG) remains contentious.

Design Retrospective case note review.

Subjects 49 neonates born between Sept 2012 to April 2018: (M:F 34:15); Average: gestation 26+3 (23 to 32+5); birth weight 870 g (±355 g); Papile grade 3:4 (ratio ≈ 1:2).

Methods Computer records from neonatal VSG at a single tertiary care children’s hospital reviewed.

Results Early complications associated with VSG seen in 13 cases (27%). Migration of shunt n=3, infection n=2, inadequate control of ventricular volume n=5, decompression haemorrhage n=2, wound leak n=1. All patients managed on NICU with an average inpatient stay of 5 days (range 2 to 15). 5 outcome groups defined: 1. Patient died (non neurological cause) (n=4) 2. VSG in situ for <1 year (n=7) 3. VSG and no VPS (n=6 16%) 4. VSG and VPS X1 never revised (n=17 45%) 5. VSG and VPS with revisions (n=15 39%) Rate of shunting in patients with VSG >1 year=84%. All patients that needed permanent VPS were operated within the first year. The average time elapsed prior to VPS was 86 days with over 80% of cases shunted within 100 days.

Conclusions VSG remains a safe method of temporary CSF drainage for the treatment of neonatal PHH with rates of shunting in line with the published literature.