Robotic Neurosurgery

Robotic neurosurgery means the use of robotic guidance systems to position instruments with sub-millimetre accuracy during brain and spine operations. The robot does not operate independently; it holds a guide along a path planned by the surgeon on your scans, and the surgeon performs the procedure.

Its established uses are placing spinal screws, inserting depth electrodes for epilepsy (SEEG), brain biopsy and DBS lead placement. It improves precision and can shorten operating time and X-ray exposure. It has not been shown to improve long-term outcomes for most patients, and open tumour removal is still done by hand under a microscope.

Conditions this service looks after

• Spinal instability, spondylolisthesis and deformity needing screw fixation
• Spinal fractures
• Drug-resistant epilepsy needing SEEG electrode mapping
• Deep brain lesions needing biopsy
• Parkinson's disease, tremor and dystonia (DBS placement)
• Lesions suitable for laser ablation

Tests you may be offered

• Thin-slice CT and MRI for planning: The software builds a 3D model, and the surgeon plans each trajectory before the operation.
• Intraoperative CT or O-arm imaging: Registers your anatomy to the robot and confirms implant position before the wound is closed.
• Standard surgical work-up: Dynamic X-rays, bone density and anaesthetic assessment, as for conventional surgery.
• Epilepsy work-up: Video EEG, 3 Tesla MRI and PET to decide where the SEEG electrodes should go.

Treatments available

• Robot-guided pedicle screw placement: Used in fusion and scoliosis surgery, often through smaller incisions.
• Robot-assisted SEEG: Places 8 to 16 electrodes through tiny skull openings in a few hours.
• Robot-guided stereotactic biopsy: Frameless sampling of deep lesions.
• Robot-assisted DBS implantation: An alternative to a stereotactic frame.
• Laser interstitial thermal therapy: Guided ablation of epileptic foci or small tumours, where available.
• CyberKnife radiosurgery: A robotic arm delivers focused radiation with no incision; a different concept that is often grouped under the same name.

When to ask for a specialist opinion

• You have been advised to have spinal fusion and want to understand the options
• Revision spinal surgery or deformity where anatomy is distorted
• Epilepsy surgery evaluation
• A deep brain lesion needing biopsy

Travelling to Türkiye for this care

Travel planning matches the underlying operation: about 10 to 14 days for a fusion, 2 to 3 weeks for SEEG monitoring. When comparing offers, ask how many robotic cases the surgeon has done, what the robot adds in your particular case, and whether the operation is needed at all. The surgeon's judgment and experience matter more than the machine.

Send your reports, scans and a short history and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

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