Removal of the Retained Ventricular Catheter Using the Endoscopic Monopolar Instrument

Figure 7

Comparison between endoscopic monopolar wire and stylet techniques. The endoscopic monopolar instrument (top drawing) coagulates the inner content, fibrous tissue and choroid plexus adhesions, releasing the catheter from the adherence, minimizing the risk of any blood vessel rupture during catheter removal. The monopolar wire is larger than the ventricle catheter holes and is semirigid, making it very difficult to go beyond the catheter limits and damage the brain. In the stylet technique, (bottom drawing) the wire, due to its rigidity and size, can pass beyond the catheter limits and damage surrounding brain tissue. Furthermore, the thickness of the stylet does not fill completely the inner space of the catheter, leaving some scar tissue untouched.