Hydrocephalus Shunts

MIETHKE Valves for Active Patients

When two strong partners combine their passion and experience, innovative and groundbreaking solutions are developed that could not be achieved independently. Following this philosophy, Aesculap and MIETHKE have been working together since 1999 to develop better solutions for the complex treatment of hydrocephalus.

Management of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

Managing a hydrocephalus patient’s condition can be very challenging. One exceptionally challenging aspect is effectively maintaining a patient’s CSF drainage to keep intracranial pressures (ICP) within normal physiological ranges. CSF tends to drain faster when a patient is upright, causing a decrease in ICP, which results in headaches, nausea and other debilitating symptoms. This necessitates the need for higher valve resistance in upright positions. The taller the patient, the higher the necessary resistance.

Gravitational Shunt Benefits

When the pressure setting is increased in a conventional adjustable valve system, resistance is increased for all positions, not just the upright position. This results in increased ICP in the lying position causing headaches, nausea and other symptoms. Miethke Gravitational Valves allow surgeons to provide distinctly different pressures for lying and upright positions, reducing the symptoms that are caused by over and under drainage and ultimately providing greater patient comfort.

Titanium Hydrocephalus Shunts

MIETHKE Valves don’t just function differently, they also look different because they are made using titanium. Titanium  was selected because of its excellent MRI and bio-compatibility. The strength of titanium also allows the valves to be made extremely small, but with large flow paths. The rigid housing also makes the titanium shunt valves unsusceptible to subcutaneous pressure.

Strategic Partners in the Solution

Many hydrocephalus patients have lifelong needs related to their condition.¹ We seek to understand the different situations faced by the health care professional as well as the patients and the families that are affected by hydrocephalus, so that we can bring products to the market that improve the quality of a patient’s life.