Türkiye achieves first robotic deep-brain stimulation surgery

Türkiye Performs First Robotic-Assisted Brain Pacemaker Surgery in the Region.

Surgeons in Türkiye have completed the country's and the wider region's first robotic-guided deep brain stimulation (DBS) operation, a procedure used to treat Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and other movement disorders. The operation was carried out at the Medipol Acıbadem Regional Hospital's PARMER unit by neurosurgery specialists Prof. Dr. Ali Zırh and Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yavuz Samancı, together with the PARMER surgical team, using the ExcelsiusGPS robotic navigation system.

A New Era in Surgical Precision

The ExcelsiusGPS platform allows neurosurgeons to reach a pre-planned surgical target with millimetre-level accuracy, offering real-time imaging and guidance throughout the operation. Medical teams say the technology is particularly valuable in functional brain surgery procedures such as DBS, where targeting precision is critical to success. According to Prof. Dr. Zırh, the surgical team drew on more than 1,700 previous brain pacemaker procedures in adopting the new system, saying the shift represents "an important step for both surgical precision and patient safety."

Robotic Surgery Reaches the Brain

While robotic-assisted surgery has long been used in fields such as general surgery, urology and gynaecology, applying it to brain pacemaker procedures had previously been limited due to the sub-millimetre accuracy the operation demands. Prof. Dr. Zırh noted that Monday's case marked the first time robotic DBS surgery had been performed in Türkiye and the surrounding region, adding that the new method "allows far more precise targeting" while helping shorten operating time and reduce surgery-related risks.

Lower Risk, Faster Recovery

Prof. Dr. Samancı said robotic systems bring notable comfort to both surgeons and patients, offering "less bleeding, more accurate targeting and a safer surgical process." He explained that steps once carried out manually during DBS procedures can now be performed by the robotic system with greater precision, reducing the risk of human error and deviation from the surgical target. Shorter operating times also mean patients require less anaesthesia, which in turn lowers the risk of infection and bleeding, while smaller incisions support a more comfortable and faster recovery.

Patient Update

The patient in this case was a woman diagnosed with Parkinson's disease whose surgery had been delayed for some time due to personal concerns about the procedure. She underwent the robotic DBS operation under general anaesthesia, and doctors say her early recovery has gone well. "Seeing our patient smile makes us happy too," Prof. Dr. Samancı said, adding that she has expressed satisfaction with the outcome.