At present, endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is regarded as the method of the first choice in the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus. ETV is indicated in patients with obstruction in the ventricular system distally from the aqueduct; some authors had also used the method in patients with other types of hydrocephalus.
The method is successful in about 2/3 of patients and its success depends on numerous factors. In our report, we attempt to summarize current knowledge on predicting success of ETV.
We describe pre-, peri- and postoperative factors and their effect on the success of ETV.