It was Monday that the robot-assisted operation was carried out, with the world's first mini-robot of its kind.

After careful investigation, the robot was programmed in the different directions the electrodes would have, thus helping the surgeon to position the electrodes exactly right.

This operation itself does not stop seizures, but is designed to better diagnose and see if one can offer an operation to remove areas where the seizures start.

Many patients with epilepsy manage with drugs. But in some cases with severe seizures, brain surgery is required.

May lead to new surgery

Previously, the interventions were made entirely by hand. Most epilepsy patients who received electrodes were then able to proceed to a new operation. And the results from that are good.

- 70 - 80% of these patients after that surgery either become seizure-free or receive a significant reduction in seizures. For them it will be a dramatic difference, says Daniel Nilsson.

The new thing is that the electrodes can be placed faster and more securely. In this case, twelve electrodes were placed out. Altogether, it provides upwards of one hundred and fifty electrode surfaces, each of which provides information about the electrical activity in the brain.

Careful investigations

The robot-assisted intervention on Monday was preceded by careful investigations using, among other things, X-ray, magnetic camera and EEG. There the doctors got a picture of where the problem is in the brain. They also looked carefully at what kind of seizures the patient was suffering from. Then a hypothesis was formed, an idea of ​​where the seizures originated.

The robot-assisted operation can then confirm or reject that hypothesis. Therefore, it is not always possible that we can offer a subsequent operation, says Daniel Nilsson.

The patient is feeling well and will remain on the epilepsy unit for one to two weeks with round-the-clock monitoring to record the seizures.