I have spina bifida and also hydrocephalus. I m 51 and had the bubble removed from my spina at two weeks, and then got a vp shunt at about a month old. I was maybe four months old when the shunt stopped working, but since I wasn t sick the dr thought that my body was taking care of the spinal fluid. I saw a doctors every year and had my head checked . At the age of fifteen they had all kids with shunts get a cat scan. They found extra water. My dr. said that they knew there was water pressure, but they didn t do anything until I was 16. I was told that they operated eight times until they got a shunt to work. I m use to getting it checked every year, but now that I m seeing a different dr. he said that adults don t need to have the shunt checked every year. I ve seen the same dr. for my shunt since I was seventeen. I skipped a year when I was in my thirties, The next year I went to get the shunt checked, he . had a harsh talk with me and said that I should never skip going to see him. He s retired now, and this new dr. said I didn t need to see him every year now that my shunt was doing fine. I don t need to see him unless I start getting sick . What is your view on the subject?