Shunt Valve Alone or Complete Kit: How Hospitals Order Each

Shunt valve alone or complete kit? See what each DESU order line contains, when hospitals use it, and how Defit, Decurve and Depus codes show the difference.

Hospitals usually order a shunt valve alone when the catheters are already in place or held as separate stock, and a complete kit when one code should cover the whole implant. DESU supplies Defit, Decurve and Depus valves both ways. DFS-M is a valve only; DFS-M-VCK adds a ventricular catheter, peritoneal catheter, stylet and right-angled connector.

Key takeaways

• A DESU valve code such as DFS-M is the valve only; adding -VCK makes it a complete VP shunt kit.
• A VP kit adds a 23 cm ventricular catheter, a 120 cm peritoneal catheter, a stylet and a right-angled connector.
• Valve-alone lines suit planned valve changes, shelf back-up and configurations a standard kit does not cover.
• The Depus Adjustment Kit is a separate reusable accessory, so it is ordered as equipment and not per case.

The two ways of buying shunt systems differ in what one order line covers, and a department may stock both. For a part-by-part list, see what is in a ventriculoperitoneal shunt kit. Which valve and configuration a patient receives is always the surgeon’s decision, made with the instructions for use.

What is the difference between a valve order and a kit order?

A valve order buys one component. A kit order buys the valve together with the catheters and accessories needed to build a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. Both are single-use and sterilised with ethylene oxide, as are all DESU shunt systems.

The code tells you which line you are buying. The first part names the family and size: DFUS, DFS and DFR for Defit Ultra Small, Small and Regular; DCP and DCA for paediatric and adult Decurve; DP for fixed-pressure Depus. L, M or H gives the pressure. Anything after that describes what comes with the valve, so a code that stops at the pressure letter is a valve alone.

When do hospitals order the valve alone?

A valve-alone line is useful whenever the catheters are not part of the same purchase. The usual reasons are practical:

• Planned valve change: when the surgeon intends to replace the valve and keep the existing catheters, a full kit would leave unused parts.
• Shelf back-up: a department may hold a few valves across pressures in case the surgeon changes the plan in theatre.
• Separate catheter stock: some hospitals manage catheters as their own lines and add a valve to them case by case.
• Non-standard configurations: where a Y-type connector joins two ventricular catheters to one shunt, or gives one shunt two peritoneal outlets, a standard kit does not cover every part.

When is a complete kit the better order?

For a planned first VP shunt, a kit is usually the simpler purchase. One code stands for the whole implant, so the case cart is picked from a single line and the theatre record shows a single item against the patient. Stock counts are easier too, because a kit is either on the shelf or it is not; nobody has to check that the catheter and connector lines match the valve count.

Kits also fit tenders well. A lot written as “VP shunt kit, medium pressure, with antisiphon device” is easy to compare between offers, and the antisiphon device and antibiotic-impregnated catheters are already coded options, not add-ons that have to be priced separately.

Can a valve be paired with separate catheter kits?

Yes. DESU codes its catheters independently of the valves, so a hospital can build the same configuration from separate lines. The ventriculoperitoneal catheter kit (SVPCK) contains the same 23 cm and 120 cm catheters, stylet and right-angled connector as a VP shunt kit, without the valve.

Two lines instead of one means two stock items and two entries on the order, so this route makes most sense where catheters are already bought in volume or a kit code does not match what the surgeon wants.

How does the choice differ between Defit, Decurve and Depus?

The valve-or-kit logic is the same across the three families. The details below are what change.

• Defit shunts: flat-bottom silicone valves in Ultra Small, Small and Regular, each in low, medium and high pressure, as valves or VP kits.
• Decurve shunts: burr-hole silicone valves in paediatric (23 mm) and adult (28 mm) sizes, with the same three pressures, as valves or VP kits.
• Depus shunts: polysulfone valves in fixed pressure (DP-L, DP-M, DP-H) and adjustable versions (DP-A paediatric, DPA-A adult), as valves or VP kits. Depus is also the family offered as lumboperitoneal kits, such as LPDP-M-LTCK, which add a 14 G Tuohy needle and 0.018” guidewire.

Defit, Decurve and adjustable Depus valves also come with an antibiotic-impregnated valve body, shown by a leading A: ADFS-M, ADCA-L, ADP-A, ADPA-A. A valve-alone order can therefore carry the same choice as a kit. How valve-body and catheter impregnation combine is covered in semi-antibiotic vs full-antibiotic shunt kits.

What else is needed with an adjustable Depus valve?

Adjustable Depus valves are read and set with the Depus Adjustment Kit, which has its own codes: DP-ADJKIT3 for 3 Pressure systems and DP-ADJKIT5 for 5 Pressure systems. It contains a locator, compass and magnet in a non-sterile, reusable case.

Because it is reusable and is not one of the kit components, treat it as department equipment and not a per-case consumable. Before the first adjustable case, check that the department holds the version that matches its valves.

What should a shunt purchase order state?

Most back-and-forth on a shunt order comes from a missing detail. A complete line states:

• Family and valve size: Defit, Decurve or Depus, and which size.
• Pressure: low, medium or high, or adjustable.
• Valve alone or VP kit, or an LP kit for Depus.
• Catheters, if any: standard or antibiotic-impregnated.
• Valve body: standard or antibiotic-impregnated.
• Antisiphon device: yes or no. In a kit, the code ends in -ASD.
• Reservoir for Depus systems, if the surgeon wants one: flat-bottom or burr-hole, paediatric or adult.

Quoting the full code avoids most of these questions at once. If a code cannot be found for a configuration, describe it in words and a DESU product specialist can confirm the line.

Talk to a DESU product specialist

For help building a valve and kit list for your department or tender, email sales@desu.tr, use the contact page, or request a quote. Send the family, sizes and pressures you use and a DESU product specialist will match them to order codes.

Frequently asked questions

Does a valve-only order include a stylet or connector?

No. The stylet and right-angled connector come with the VP shunt kits and catheter kits. If you order a valve alone and need them, order a catheter kit or the connector line as well.

Can the antisiphon device be bought separately from a kit?

Yes. It has its own code, ASD, as an accessory. It can also be supplied inside Defit, Decurve and Depus VP kits, where the kit code ends in -ASD.

Are lumboperitoneal systems ordered the same way?

Depus LP systems come as kits, with codes such as LPDP-L-LTCK for standard catheters and LPDP-L-LTACK for antibiotic-impregnated catheters. Each kit brings together the Depus valve, lumbar and peritoneal catheters, a 14 G Tuohy needle and a 0.018” guidewire.

Should a hospital stock valves, kits or both?

That depends on case mix and on how surgeons work. One practical approach is to treat kits as the routine line and hold a smaller set of valves for planned valve changes and changes of plan. Agree the list with the neurosurgical team before ordering.

Related standards

• ISO 7197: Neurosurgical implants — Sterile, single-use hydrocephalus shunts and components
• ISO 11135: Sterilization of health care products — Ethylene oxide
• ISO 13485: Medical devices — Quality management systems