Vietnam reaches a medical step with a first robotic brain surgery on the child with drug resistant epilepsy

The global medical robotics market undergoes exponential growth. According to BoundariesThe sector was estimated at around $ 27.7 billion in 2023, with projections reaching $ 127 billion by 2033, developing a TCAC of 16.5%.

Adoption is the most important in North America and Europe. In 2023, Europe alone had more than 3,500 surgical robotic systems and carried out more than 280,000 robotic surgeries, according to Marketgrowthreports.

This future has now reached Southeast Asia. In July 2025, the International Hospital of Vinmec Central Park in Ho Chi Minh Ville carried out the first cerebral surgery guided by Vietnam robotics on a pediatric patient with medication resistant epilepsy, signaling a breakthrough for neurosurgical capacities in the region.

An intervention based on precision in pediatric epilepsy

The patient, Bqk, a 9 year old boy from Hanoi, had suffered from epilepsy since 2021. Despite several treatment regimes through Vietnam and abroad, his condition has remained refractory, sometimes experiencing dozens of convulsions per day. For the past five years, his family has been looking for final treatment.

This breakthrough occurred in 2025. On June 17, 2025, under the direction of Dr Truong Van Tri, with the support of the Japanese Epilepsy Specialist Assoc. Professor Shunsuke Nakae, the surgical team, managed to apply stereoencalographies stereo-electroencated (VEG) using the Autoguide ™ robotic guidance system. This marks the very first use of Robotics SEEG for a pediatric patient in Vietnam.

The Autoguide ™ robot has enabled a precise electrode establishment in high -risk brain areas. These included the orbitofrontal cortex and the lower frontal gyrus – the dense regions of blood vessels and the neuronal tracks. Using 3.0 Tesla MRI and Multichannel EEG, doctors have visualized brain activity, mapped the focus of crises and carried out mini-invasive resection.

“For the first time, we obtained an almost perfect result in pediatric epilepsy surgery thanks to Autoguide ™. This is an essential step, especially for young patients who are very vulnerable to major brain surgery,” said Dr. Tri.

The patient has not pointed out any neurological deficit after surgery and has since resumed normal activities. Its frequency of crisis has decreased by more than 95%, reflecting both the efficiency and safety of the procedure.

Medical excellence focused on technology

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)30% of patients with epilepsy are drug resistant, surgery is often their best option. However, in children, the location of the brain area causing crises is particularly difficult, because EEG, TEP or conventional MRI frequently gives non -conclusive results.

Robotic Seeg addresses these limitations by offering lower precision in real time, reduced invasiveness and faster recovery times. With this breakthrough, Vinmec Central Park becomes one of the few hospitals in Asia capable of performing a robotic pediatric Seeg. Recognized as Vietnam’s main private hospital system for international patients, robotic epilepsy surgery also reflects the wider strategy of centers of excellence.

Vietnam’s neurological care is increasing, bringing the national standards closer to global references.