A ventricular catheter guide for rapid and accurate ventricular access

Abstract

A ventricular catheter guide for rapid and accurate percutaneous insertion of ventricular catheters into the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle is presented. It comprises a cylindrical platform with a removable guide tube that directs a surgical trajectory for passage of a narrow calibre twist drill and ventricular catheter, at right angles to all cranial contours within the frontal cranial quadrant. In clinical usage percutaneous ventriculostomy using the instrumentation and technique described can be completed within fifteen minutes with a single catheter passage through brain, and remain in situ for extended periods without evidence of infection on serial cerebrospinal fluid microbiological analysis.