Can We Predict Early Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy Failure? The Role of Ultra-Early Postoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Predicting Early Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy Failure

The success of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) depends on multiple preoperative and intraoperative factors. The multifactorial influence adds an element of unpredictability to the outcome of the most well-planned procedure. Clinical symptoms and signs may not reflect the status of the ETV stoma postprocedure and the morbidity associated with ETV failure could be catastrophic. In this study, the authors look at the role of early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict failure to avoid morbidity secondary to malfunction and propose a modified success criterion to guide treatment plan post-ETV failure. Our aim is to prospectively and retrospectively study the use of early postoperative MRI in predicting potential early ETV failure