I am trying to think what would cause a problem with altitude and a VP
shunt.. and unless there is air in the shunt... which is HIGHLY
IRREGULAR in a chronic VP shunt then this shouldnt be an issue. Absent
of free air, altitude shouldnt be a major problem.

Air being present can expand at altitude and if inside the skull can
cause all sorts of problems.. Something like this was experienced by my
colleagues on an aeromedical crew with a neurosurgery patient, but it
was a freshly placed shunt, and air underneath a craniotomy flap had not
absorbed yet.

I've developed headaches on long cross country flights at 10-11,000
feet.. and I dont even have a shunt. Hypoxia in and of itself can do
that to a healthy person.

To answer your question, for a flight in the area of the country you are
specifying, expect altitudes no higher than 8,000 feet.. Prevailing
winds are from the west.. so the higher you go, the more headwind you
have to fly against heading the MI from the east coast. Cabin altitudes
in pressurized planes are in the 8-10k ft range.

On a practical basis, the angel flight guys are used to flying folks who
may need oxygen routinely and know that altitude compounds the problem,
so they are accustomed to not pushing it up as high as they may without
a patient/rider. Any special requests can be communicated by the
coordinator to the Angel Flight pilots.. such as limiting max altitude..
for whatever reason. The pilot is made aware of the request when he
accepts the flight (as in, he accepts the flight knowing the request if
its been communicated properly)

Dave



Christopher Range wrote:
I am grasping at straws about, the information I need know. I have been
looking on the Internet, regarding the the ceiling level of the flying
altitude of a Cessna.

I am needing to know the information because, my fiance n' I may have to
utilitize 'Angel Flight' for, her to get to Baltimore from our home in
Duluth(Minnesota). Angel Flight, is a non-profit flight service that
utilizes the personal Cessna planes of individual pilots.

She has a 'shunt'(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_shunt) as a result
of a condition called Hydrocephalus. Because of this, we are concerned
about cabin pressure. I know that Cessnas' are not pressurized and, the
ceiling level could cause her to have a bad headache.

While she has never flown in one(with a shunt), I have(I have
Hydrocephalus too, knock on wood). When I was 9yrs.-old(1976), I flew
from LAX(Los Angeles International Airport), to the airport in the Grand
Canyon, in a Cessna-style aircraft.

Thankyou for your time.

Christopher