I have been on the pediatric hydrocephalus foundation site numerous times and wanted to "nominate" my sons pediatric neurosurgeon as a hero of hydrocephalus. Dr. Mark Iantosca of Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital is our saving grace.

My son was born at 29 weeks and 5 days due to severe pre-eclamsia. At 12 days of life they found a grade III-IV intraventricular hemorrhage with resulting hydrocephalus. Everest had a resirvoir placed at 14 days old (he was not big enough for a full VP shunt). They tapped his resirvoir daily, and at 20 days old he had a VP shunt placed. He had a shunt revision at 6 weeks old due to a break in his skin over the shunt tubing. He came home from the NICU at 74 days old (12 weeks).

Unfortunately at 9 months he developed a shunt infection, and was in house w/ an external drain for a week, and had a new shunt placed. About 2 weeks after discharge he had a 2nd shunt infection which he developed severe peritonitis, and had an external drain for 10 days, before his shunt was moved to the other side of his head.

Without Dr. Iantosca, and the amazing staff at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Everest would not be where he is today.