Replacement Shunt Catheters: Ordering Kits Without a Valve
How to order replacement shunt catheters without a valve: which of the six DESU catheter kits replaces which segment, what each contains and the codes to use.
DESU supplies its catheters without a valve in six catheter kits, so a hospital can order only the segment being replaced: ventricular, peritoneal, lumbar, or a matched pair. Each kit has a standard and an antibiotic-impregnated code. Ordering correctly comes down to knowing which catheter is being replaced and what is in the box.
Key takeaways
- Six DESU catheter kits come without a valve, each with a standard and an antibiotic-impregnated code.
- Contents differ: the ventricular kit adds a stylet and right-angled connector, while the peritoneal kit is the catheter alone.
- The kit catheters have the same dimensions as the catheters in DESU VP shunt kits.
- Before joining a DESU catheter to another manufacturer’s valve, check the instructions for use of both products.
These kits sit in the DESU neurosurgical catheters range alongside the external drainage catheters. Whether a catheter is replaced, and how much of a shunt is revised, is decided by the surgeon, often only once the system has been assessed.
Why order a catheter without a valve?
A shunt is an assembly, and its parts do not always need replacing together. A revision may involve one segment, for example a blocked ventricular catheter, or a peritoneal catheter that has fractured, migrated or become too short as a child grows. If the valve is working, the surgeon may leave it in place.
For the hospital, that means a complete shunt kit is not always the right item to open. Having catheter kits on the shelf gives the team a smaller option, and a kit that contains only what the case needs.
Which DESU kit replaces which catheter?
| Catheter needed | Kit | Standard code | Impregnated code | Size (ID / OD, length) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ventricular | Ventricular catheter kit | SVCK | ASVCK | 1.3 / 2.5 mm, 23 cm |
| Peritoneal | Peritoneal catheter kit | SPCK | ASPCK | 1.1 / 2.5 mm, 120 cm |
| Ventricular and peritoneal | Ventriculoperitoneal catheter kit | SVPCK | ASVPCK | Both of the above |
| Lumbar, for LP shunting | Lumbar catheter kit | LCK | LACK | 0.8 / 1.6 mm, 100 cm |
| Lumbar and peritoneal | Lumboperitoneal catheter kit | LPCK | LPACK | 0.8 / 1.6 mm, 100 cm; 1.1 / 2.5 mm, 120 cm |
| External lumbar drainage | Lumbar drainage catheter kit | ELCK | ELACK-1608800 | 0.8 / 1.6 mm, 80 cm |
All six are silicone, with tantalum length marks. The lumbar drainage kit is the odd one out: it is for external lumbar drainage, not for a shunt, so it belongs on the list only where that procedure is performed.
What comes in each kit?
The name of a kit does not tell you what else is in the box, and this is where orders most often go wrong:
- Ventricular catheter kit: catheter, stylet and right-angled connector.
- Peritoneal catheter kit: the 120 cm catheter alone.
- Ventriculoperitoneal catheter kit: both catheters, stylet and right-angled connector.
- Lumbar catheter kit: catheter, 14 G Tuohy needle, guidewire and fixation tab.
- Lumboperitoneal catheter kit: both catheters, 14 G Tuohy needle, guidewire and fixation part.
- Lumbar drainage catheter kit: catheter, Tuohy needle, guidewire, angled trocar, Luer Lock connector, distal cap and fixation part.
Because the peritoneal kit has no connector, a case that needs one should have it ordered separately. The straight catheter connector (PPCCO) joins two catheter lines in line, and the L-type connector (PPRAC) joins parts at a right angle.
Are these the same catheters as in DESU shunt kits?
The dimensions match. Defit, Decurve and Depus VP kits use a 23 cm ventricular catheter of 1.3 mm inner and 2.5 mm outer diameter and a 120 cm peritoneal catheter of 1.1 mm inner and 2.5 mm outer diameter, the same figures as the catheter kits.
The ventricular catheter has 24 drainage holes in four rows of six and tantalum marks from 5–15 cm; the peritoneal catheter has marks from 5–20 cm. Our articles on ventricular catheter design and peritoneal catheter length marks cover those details.
Will a DESU catheter fit a valve from another manufacturer?
A matching catheter diameter on paper does not establish compatibility. If a catheter is to be joined to a valve already in place from another maker, check the instructions for use of both products and talk to our product specialists before the case.
Standard or antibiotic-impregnated replacement?
Every one of the six kits has both versions. In the antibiotic-impregnated catheters, the antibiotic is impregnated into the material and released in a controlled manner over 28 days. The catheter dimensions stay the same, and the two versions differ in colour: impregnated catheters are orange, standard ones white.
One point to check on lumboperitoneal orders: in the impregnated system the lumbar catheter is antibiotic-impregnated and the peritoneal catheter is an antibiotic-impregnated option, so state the peritoneal version explicitly. Which version to use is a matter for the surgeon and the hospital’s protocol.
How can a catheter kit be confused with a shunt kit?
The codes are close enough to cause mistakes. In shunt codes, “VCK” and “VACK” mean a VP catheter set supplied with a valve: DFS-L-VCK is a Small low-pressure Defit valve with standard catheters, and DP-L-VACK is a low-pressure Depus valve with impregnated catheters. A catheter kit code stands alone: SVCK, SVPCK and ASVPCK include no valve.
A short check before an order goes out:
- Does the code name a valve? Codes built on a valve family, such as DFS, DCA or DP, include one.
- Has the surgeon named the segment, and the version, standard or impregnated?
- Will the case need a connector or stylet that this kit does not contain?
- Are ventricular kits and shunt kits labelled separately on the shelf?
What about external drainage catheters?
EVD catheters are also coded independently of their system. The 1.5 mm inner, 3.0 mm outer, 31 cm catheter of the EVD-010 Series is EVDCK-1530310 in the standard version and EVDACK-1530310 when impregnated, and further sizes are available. Our product specialists can give you the code that matches your set.
Talk to a DESU product specialist
To match catheter kits to your revision list, or to confirm contents and codes, write to sales@desu.tr, use the contact page, or request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can a stylet be ordered on its own?
The stylet is a kit component rather than a separate item. It comes in the ventricular and ventriculoperitoneal catheter kits.
Are there paediatric catheter sizes?
No. Each catheter has one set of dimensions; paediatric sizes apply to valves, not catheters. Decurve, for example, has paediatric and adult valve sizes, and both kits use the same 23 cm and 120 cm catheters.
Do the catheter kits include an antisiphon device?
No. The antisiphon device is an option on Defit, Decurve and Depus VP shunt kits, whose codes end in “-ASD”, and it is also available on its own under the code ASD.
Related standards
- ISO 13485: Medical devices — Quality management systems
- ISO 10993 series: Biological evaluation of medical devices