A hospital in the US has performed the world’s first robotic deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure on a paediatric patient.
It took place at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health and immediately improved the eight-year-old’s motor function.
Traditionally, the surgical technique – involving the implantation of electrodes into specific brain regions – has been used to treat Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and dystonia.
However, this procedure – and the particular device – has never been performed robotically in paediatric patients.
Using robotics enhances the surgical precision and safety of the procedure while also unlocking new possibilities for outcomes.
Collaborating with Bethany Children’s Health Centre, the team treated a child with rapid-onset primary dystonia who was paralysed and could not eat, walk or sit up on her own.
Medics felt she was an ideal candidate for the procedure.
Neurosurgeon Dr Andrew Jea said: ‘This marked the global debut of using a robot from our operating rooms to perform DBS in a child, setting a precedent not only in Oklahoma but also across the United States and worldwide.’
Following surgery, the patient’s postoperative care continued at Bethany Children’s Health Centre, an innovative leader in paediatric rehabilitation and 24-hour complex care.
Dr Amber Stocco, paediatric neurologist and medical director of Child & Adolescent Neurology at Bethany Children’s Health Centre, said: ‘It’s exciting that we’re on the leading edge of what’s happening in the world of deep brain stimulation and robotics.
‘We are thrilled to have achieved this milestone. Our young patient is already showing promising results, and we hope this procedure will lead to more paediatric DBS cases worldwide.’
When the neurostimulator was activated after the procedure, the girl could lower and relax her arms within minutes, something she could not previously do.
Her movements are becoming more controllable, and her verbalisation has also improved.
The patient’s mother said: ‘Her arms used to lock up to the point we would put socks on her hands because she would scratch her neck. There have been some improvements, even when they turned it on. She uses her voice more, and we can make out some of her words.’
- A recent study found that robot-assisted DBS was a ‘reliable and safe approach for treating Parkinson’s Disease’.
The authors concluded: ‘Robot-assisted DBS provides enhanced accuracy in contrast to conventional frame-based stereotactic techniques.’
However, they cautioned that further investigation was necessary to validate its advantages regarding the enhancement of motor function and decreasing the need for antiparkinsonian medications compared to traditional frame-based stereotactic techniques.
