Vietnam Reaches Medical Milestone With First Robotic Mind Surgical procedure on Little one with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
The worldwide medical robotics market is present process exponential development. In line with Frontiers, the sector was valued at roughly US$27.7 billion in 2023, with projections reaching US$127 billion by 2033, increasing at a CAGR of 16.5%.
Adoption is most outstanding in North America and Europe. In 2023, Europe alone had over 3,500 surgical robotic techniques and carried out greater than 280,000 robotic surgical procedures, in response to MarketGrowthReports.
That future has now reached Southeast Asia. In July, 2025, Vinmec Central Park Worldwide Hospital in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis carried out Vietnam’s first robotic-guided mind surgical procedure on a pediatric affected person with drug-resistant epilepsy, signaling a breakthrough for the area’s neurosurgical capabilities.
A Precision-Based mostly Intervention in Pediatric Epilepsy
The affected person, B.Q.Okay., a 9-year-old boy from Hanoi, had suffered from epilepsy since 2021. Regardless of present process a number of remedy regimens throughout Vietnam and overseas, his situation remained refractory, generally experiencing dozens of seizures per day. For 5 years, his household had been looking for a definitive remedy.
That breakthrough got here in 2025. On June 17, 2025, beneath the management of Dr. Truong Van Tri, with assist from Japanese epilepsy specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shunsuke Nakae, the surgical group efficiently utilized stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) utilizing the AutoGuide™ robotic steering system. This marks the first-ever use of robotic SEEG for a pediatric affected person in Vietnam.
The AutoGuide™ robotic enabled exact electrode implantation into high-risk mind areas. These included the orbitofrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus—areas dense with blood vessels and neural pathways. Utilizing 3.0 Tesla MRI and multi-channel EEG, docs visualized mind exercise, mapped the seizure focus, and carried out a minimally invasive resection.
“For the primary time, we achieved a near-perfect final result in pediatric epilepsy surgical procedure because of AutoGuide™. This can be a essential milestone, particularly for younger sufferers who’re extremely susceptible to main mind surgical procedure,”mentioned Dr. Tri.
The affected person reported no neurological deficits post-surgery and has since resumed regular actions. His seizure frequency decreased by over 95%, reflecting each the efficacy and security of the process.
Know-how-Pushed Medical Excellence
In line with the World Well being Group (WHO), 30% of epilepsy sufferers are drug-resistant, with surgical procedure typically being their best choice. But in kids, localizing the seizure-causing mind zone is very tough, as typical EEG, PET, or MRI often yield inconclusive outcomes.
Robotic SEEG addresses these limitations by providing real-time, sub-millimeter accuracy, decreased invasiveness, and sooner restoration instances. With this breakthrough, Vinmec Central Park turns into one of many few hospitals in Asia able to performing robotic pediatric SEEG. Acknowledged as Vietnam’s main personal hospital system for worldwide sufferers, the robotic epilepsy surgical procedure additionally displays Vinmec’s broader technique of creating facilities of excellence.
Vietnam’s neurological care is progressing, bringing nationwide requirements nearer to world benchmarks.
