Zach Roloff Emergency Brain Surgery

(February 13, 2023) – A few days ago, Zach Roloff, one of the stars of the TLC reality series Little People, Big World, made headline news when he had emergency brain surgery for a shunt revision. The news stories talk about his shunt revision operation and the scariness of the ordeal. But we also need to bring awareness to Zach’s condition, hydrocephalus, and the millions living with this condition every day. Hydrocephalus and a shunt can mean a lifetime of multiple brain surgeries. For each person living with hydrocephalus, dozens are common and 100 or more is not unheard of.

Hydrocephalus is a chronic, neurological condition caused by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within cavities of the brain called ventricles, resulting in pressure on the brain. There is no cure and currently, the only available treatment is brain surgery. Shunts are commonly used to redirect the fluid and relieve the pressure, but they do not last forever, and they fail, leading to multiple brain surgeries to correct this.

Anyone at any age can develop hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus can develop for a variety of reasons, sometimes as part of another condition. You can be born with it or acquire it from brain tumors, infections of the brain or a brain injury. It may also develop as part of the aging process.

One out of every 770 babies will develop hydrocephalus, making it as common as Down’s syndrome and more common than spina bifida or brain tumors. Yet the awareness level of this condition is very low and we need to change that. To help us conduct more critical research to find better, non-invasive treatments for those living with the condition. And to ultimately find a cure.

Top 10 Facts about Hydrocephalus:

• Hydrocephalus is a life-threatening condition that affects approximately 1 million Americans. And anyone, at any age, can develop hydrocephalus.
• One out of every 770 babies will develop hydrocephalus, making it as common as Down’s syndrome and more common than spina bifida or brain tumors.
• There is no way to prevent hydrocephalus and there is no cure. The only known treatment requires brain surgery.
• Hydrocephalus is the most common reason for brain surgery in children.
• The most common surgical treatment for hydrocephalus is the implantation of a device called a shunt to drain fluid from the brain.
• An estimated 50% of shunts in the pediatric population fail within two years of placement and repeated neurosurgical operations are often required.
• An estimated 50% of shunts in the pediatric population fail within two years of placement and repeated neurosurgical operations are often required.
• Hydrocephalus and a shunt can mean a lifetime of multiple brain surgeries. Dozens of brain surgeries are common and 100 or more is not unheard of.
• An estimated 800,000 older Americans are believed to have NPH, but often are misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or dementia. When correctly diagnosed and treated, the patient often can return to full functioning!
• Accurately diagnosing adult hydrocephalus would save Medicare in excess of $184M over five years.

ABOUT THE HYDROCEPHALUS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1983 by parents of children with hydrocephalus, the Hydrocephalus Association has grown to become the nation’s largest and most widely respected organization dedicated to hydrocephalus. The Hydrocephalus Association began funding research in 2009. Since then, HA has committed over $15 million to research, making it the largest nonprofit, non-governmental funder of hydrocephalus research in the U.S. For more information, visit www.hydroassoc.org or call (888) 598-3789.