Robot aids surgeon in pioneering epilepsy op
AWOMAN from Neath Port Talbot has become the first person in Wales to undergo pioneering robotic surgery to ease her epilepsy.
The operation involved probes being implanted into Skewen woman Denise Casey’s brain to ease her condition, which has caused her to have up to six fits a day for the past 20 years.
The landmark procedure, which identified the source of the epileptic seizures, coincided with BioWales, an annual conference which celebrates Wales’ position as a global life sciences pioneer.
The robot that assisted in the surgery was built in Rhondda Cynon Taff by Renishaw.
Mrs Casey told BBC Wales: “It’s been remarkable – they said it was a robot and you think of something like that in the films. I know it’s only been a couple of weeks, but so far it has been wonderful.”
Previously, Mrs Casey could not go out alone as a seizure would leave her disorientated. Since the operation in March, she has not suffered any fits.
Andrea Richards, directorate manager for Neurosciences at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: “This is the first neurosurgical procedure to be carried out with robotic assistance in Wales.
“We are pleased that the collaboration between clinical services, the BRAIN Unit and Renishaw has enabled a number of improvements to be made to patient care.
“Neurosurgical patients will now spend less time in the operating theatre, have a reduced risk of infection and benefit from improved surgical outcomes.”
Renishaw’s robot assisted surgeon William Gray, professor of functional neurosurgery at Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, during the SEEG case, a procedure which uses intracerebral electrodes to measure electrical signals.
The aim of the surgery was to identify which region of the brain was acting as a source for epileptic seizures.
With help from the robot, Professor Gray was able to accurately identify the epileptogenic zone, and has since followed up the surgery in order to relieve the patient from the symptoms of epilepsy.
Prof Gray is also a director of the University’s Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) unit, which brings together experts from Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor universities and the NHS.
He said: “The Renishaw robot is a significant step forward for epilepsy surgery in Wales, enabling us to investigate and treat even the most complex cases to achieve seizure freedom for our patients.
“In collaboration with the Brain Unit, it will also enable us to perform leading research for measuring brain signals and delivering therapies directly into the brain, across many neurological diseases.”