Background: In 1963, Ayub Ommaya proposed a surgical technique for placement of a subcutaneous reservoir and pump to allow access to intraventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Currently, the most common indication for Ommaya reservoir insertion in adults is for patients with hematologic or leptomeningeal disorders who require repeated injection of chemotherapy into the CSF space. Historically, the intraventricular catheter has been inserted blindly based on anatomical landmarks. The purpose of this study was to determine short-term complication rates from Ommaya reservoir placement in the image-guidance era. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all operative cases of image-guided Ommaya reservoir insertion from 2004-2014 by the senior author (JFM). Patient demographic data and peri-operative complications were collected. Results: We identified 28 patients over the study period (43.3+/-17.3 years; 64.3% male). Indications for placement included acute lymphoblastic leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. There was one asymptomatic peri-operative intracranial hemorrhage (3.6%), and one early infection (3.6%). All catheters were well-positioned and functional. Conclusions: In our retrospective single-centre case series, all catheters were placed accurately. Our results support routine use of intra-operative image guidance for proximal catheter insertion in elective Ommaya reservoir placement for intraventricular chemotherapy.