shunt
(shŭnt )
1. To turn away from; divert.
2. An anomalous passage or one artificially constructed to divert flow from one main route to another.
3. An electric conductor connecting two points in a circuit to form a parallel circuit through which a portion of the current may pass.
anatomical shunt
A normal or abnormal direct connection between arterial and venous circulation. An example of a normal anatomical shunt is the bronchial and thebesian vein connection.
arteriovenous shunt
An abnormal connection between an artery and the venous system.
Blalock-Taussig shunt
cardiovascular shunt
An abnormal connection between the cavities of the heart or between the systemic and pulmonary vessels.
dialysis shunt
An arteriovenous shunt created for use during renal dialysis.
DIALYSIS SHUNT
intraocular shunt
A shunt placed in the anterior chamber of the eye to reduce elevated intraocular pressure.
left-to-right shunt
The passage of blood from the left side of the heart to the right side through an abnormal opening (such as a septal defect).
lumboperitoneal shunt
Surgery for treating normal pressure hydrocephalus in which cerebrospinal fluid is channeled from the spinal cord to the peritoneum. Unlike ventriculoperitioneal shunting, this shunting does not require intracranial surgery.
SEE: ventriculoperitioneal shunt
mesocaval shunt
A surgical connection between the inferior vena cava and the superior mesenteric vein, i.e., a treatment for portal hypertension that relieves pressure in the portal veins by linking them to the systemic circulation.
peritoneovenous shunt
A shunt from the peritoneal cavity to the venous circulation used to help control ascites by allowing ascitic fluid to enter the venous circulation.
SYN: SEE: LeVeen shunt
physiological shunt
The route by which pulmonary blood perfuses unventilated alveoli. This process is caused by an imbalance between ventilation and perfusion.
pleuroperitoneal shunt
A conduit connecting the pleural space and the peritoneum, used to drain recurring pleural effusions, such as those that accumulate in patients with certain cancers in the chest.
SYN: SEE: Denver shunt
portacaval shunt
Surgical creation of a connection between the portal vein and the vena cava.
SYN: SEE: postcaval shunt
postcaval shunt
SEE: Portacaval shunt.
reversed shunt
SEE: Right-to-left shunt.
right-to-left shunt
The movement of blood or other body fluids backward through a shunt. The shunted blood has no opportunity to become oxygenated because of failure to pass through the lungs.
SYN: SEE: reversed shunt
transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt
ABBR: TIPS A shunt inserted through the skin, jugular vein, and liver and then into the portal venous system to manage complications of portal hypertension, such as bleeding caused by esophageal varices or uncontrollable ascites. The shunt decreases pressure within the portal venous circulation, e.g., in patients with cirrhosis, bypassing the liver and allowing portal blood to flow directly into the vena cava. A common complication of the procedure is altered mental status, since blood that was previously detoxified by the liver is directed around it.
TRANSJUGULAR INTRAHEPATIC PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNT A stent is placed to shunt blood from the portal vein to the systemic circulation to divert blood flow around the diseased liver
ventriculoperitioneal shunt
A common shunt for treating hydrocephalus, consisting of a plastic tube between a cerebral ventricle and the peritoneum.
SEE: lumboperitoneal shunt