Vietnam Marks Medical Breakthrough With First Robotic Pediatric Brain Procedure

International Business Times

9 hours ago

Robotic systems are fast becoming the new standard worldwide. According to Frontiers, the global medical robots market was valued at approximately US$27.7 billion in 2023, and is projected to hit US$127 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 16.5%.
Europe and North America remain leaders in adoption. In 2023, Europe alone had over 3,500 surgical robotic systems and performed more than 280,000 robotic surgeries, according to MarketGrowthReports.
"Innovation like robot-assisted surgery isn't science fiction, it's the future of the health service," said UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting in The Scottish Sun.
That future is no longer limited to the West. It has arrived in Southeast Asia, specifically, Vietnam.
At Vinmec Central Park International Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City), surgeons performed the country's first pediatric stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) using the AutoGuide™ robotic guidance system on a 9-year-old boy with drug-resistant epilepsy.
The patient, B.Q.K. from Hanoi, had suffered from epilepsy since 2021. Despite undergoing multiple treatments in Vietnam and abroad, his seizures persisted. For five years, his family sought a solution that could restore their son's quality of life and allow for seizure-free sleep.
That solution arrived in 2025.
On June 17, 2025, a surgical team led by Dr. Truong Van Tri, with support from Japanese epilepsy expert Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shunsuke Nakae, performed a high-precision resection.
The young patient after a life-changing breakthrough Handout
Using AutoGuide, Vinmec doctors successfully implanted electrodes deep into the orbitofrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus—regions densely packed with neural networks and blood vessels. The robot worked in tandem with advanced imaging tools, including a 3.0 Tesla MRI and multi-channel EEG systems, to visualize the brain and track seizure activity.
These technologies allowed the clinical team to identify the epileptogenic zone with high confidence, something that conventional surface EEG, PET, or MRI alone often fail to do in pediatric cases.
"For the first time, we achieved near-perfect outcome in pediatric epilepsy surgery thanks to AutoGuide™. This is a critical milestone, especially for young patients who are highly vulnerable to major brain surgery," said Dr. Tri.
The patient experienced no postoperative neurological deficits. Within a month, he returned to regular play, and his seizure frequency decreased by more than 95%, a life-changing turnaround.
New Hope for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy Patients
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 30% of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant, meaning they do not respond to medication. Surgery is often the most effective option for these patients, but it relies heavily on accurately localizing the epileptogenic zone.
This process becomes even more difficult in children, where traditional tools like scalp EEG, MRI, and PET often yield inconclusive results. Robotic SEEG offers a minimally invasive and highly accurate alternative.
Vinmec Central Park advances neurology through technology and international integration
By combining robotic precision with multidisciplinary expertise, Vinmec Central Park is now among the few hospitals in Asia capable of performing pediatric SEEG with robotic assistance.
Recognized as Vietnam's top private hospital system for expatriates and international patients (based on independent surveys), Vinmec is advancing the frontiers of neurology and precision medicine in Southeast Asia.
This achievement reflects Vinmec's long-term strategy to develop centers of excellence through cutting-edge technology, personalized treatment, and global collaboration.
As Vietnam continues to invest in AI, robotics, and precision healthcare, such milestones offer new possibilities for patients once deemed untreatable.