Ventriculostomy

Definition: A surgical procedure for the evacuation of cerebral spinal fluid or blood from the ventricles of the brain. The procedure inserts a draining tube through the skull into one of the ventricles (the fluid-filled spaces) inside of the brain. Ventriculostomies are performed in order to relieve the pressure that results from the buildup of excess cerebrospinal fluid, or blood inside the ventricles. This procedure is especially important in the treatment of intraventricular hemorrhage, a type of hemorrhagic stroke.