WHY THE SOPHYSA ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE VALVE HAS BEEN CHOOSEN BY THE NEUROSURGEON?

Most valves for hydrocephalus act at constant pressure (= resistance). It is the neurosurgeon who chooses the type and pressure of valve which he will insert before implantation and depending on the patient's clinical characteristics and further investigations. Manufacturers generally offer three different calibrations of each of their models; either a low pressure model, a medium pressure model or a high pressure model. Although in most cases the choice will be correct at the time the system is implanted, shunting the patient's CSF changes the patient's clinical condition and in a significant number of cases the neurosurgeon has to intervene to change the valve, replacing it with a valve which operates at a different pressure. Repeat operations, which may be multiple, are not without danger to the patient, as they are invasive. The solution to this problem is to implant a valve which has several different pressure settings covering the entire range desired and which are capable of being adjusted to change the pressure (of the valve) at will, without re-operating on the patient, i.e. non-invasively. This is the concept underlying the adjustable pressure valve.

Although this question could still be asked a few years ago, the advantages of the adjustable pressure valves have now been clearly established in the treatment of hydrocephalus. The thoughts expressed a few years ago by hydrocephalus experts are still a reality.

The adjustable pressure valves and, particularly, the Sophy® valve, the first adjustable pressure valve routinely implanted in the world, has produced results which clearly show this benefit: a major step forward …

The Sophy® valve

In 2004, Sophysa introduced Polaris® the latest edition of adjustable valve. Based on the same successful principle of Sophy®, Polaris® features a patented self-locking mechanism which prevents unintentional dysadjustment during everyday life and MRI exposure.

Polaris® represents the ultimate standard for safety of adjustable valve for hydrocephalus treatment.

The Polaris® valve

The originality of both the Sophy® and Polaris® valves resides in the possibility of modifying its operating pressure by simple external adjustment.

It also allows the neurosurgeon to adjust the CSF drainage flow according to the patient's requirements, without the need for surgical re-intervention. Depending on clinical and tomodensitometric (CT) MRI findings, it offers the neurosurgeon the facility of quickly resolving symptoms by changing the operating pressure.

Pressure adjustment is totally painless. It is carried out by the magnetic action of a special magnet (part of an adjustment kit) which the neurosurgeon places on the patient's skin, just over the valve.

The pressure setting may be changed non-invasively using the appropriate adjustment kit: