Shunts See related index of illustrations of some currently used models of shunts.
There are many standard pressure differential valved shunts currently available with only slight differences between them. There is no evidence that any one company's design is better that another and, in fact, some companies carry more than one design. This improvement is expected to drastically reduce the incidence of distal catheter disconnection and consequent shunt malfunction. With the availability of this newer design, most pediatric neurosurgeons have abandoned the used of pieced together systems when implanting a new system or completely replacing an old system. Commercially available shunts are categorized as low, medium, or high pressure, depending on their response to the pressure differential between upper and lower ends of the shunt.