Ommaya-Reservoir

An Ommaya reservoir or Rickham reservoir is employed mainly for locoregional chemotherapy of brain tumors catheter system, which is implanted into the ventricular system of the brain.

Name

The Ommaya reservoir is named after the Pakistani neurosurgeon Ayub Khan Ommaya (1930-2008), who invented it in 1963.

Application and design

An Ommaya reservoir or Rickham is used mainly for the treatment of brain tumors. Here, a cytostatic drug is across the reservoir released into the cerebrospinal fluid ( " brain fluid " ) ( intrathecally ). This method bypasses the blood -brain barrier, since it in many systemically administered drugs preventing their transport to the brain. In addition, an Ommaya reservoir may also be implanted in pain syndromes with central spasticity.

The Ommaya reservoir consists of a small pillow-shaped plastic container, which is under the scalp ( subgaleal ). The reservoir is implanted in a short neurosurgical operation under the scalp, so that the catheter into the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle of the non-dominant hemisphere can be placed. A thin tube, the ventricular catheter, which is connected to the reservoir, in a space filled with cerebrospinal fluid cavity ( one ventricle ) extends into. A thin needle, the reservoir may be tapped. In this case, for a fluid from the surgical cavity - are removed ( spinal tap ), and other substances or diagnostics can be administered into the ventricle - for example, for diagnostic purposes. The Rickham reservoir is in contrast to a metal ground Ommaya reservoir.

During the implantation, there is a low risk of bleeding, and risk of infection of up to 20 % as well as a general anesthetic risk.