The implantation of a VA shunt is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia. The neurosurgeon makes an incision in the scalp and drills a small hole in the skull to access the brain's ventricles. A catheter is then placed into one of the ventricles to drain the CSF. The other end of the catheter is tunneled under the skin and connected to a valve that regulates the flow of CSF. The distal catheter is then threaded through the neck veins and positioned in the right atrium of the heart.
