Saskatchewan celebrates first robot brain surgery at Royal University Hospital

Dr. Amit Persad stands next to the newly installed Robotic Stereotactic Assistance (ROSA) device. (Submitted/SHA)

It’s a medical milestone for Saskatchewan; this week, Saskatchewan completed its first ever robot-assisted epilepsy surgery.

On Thursday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and Royal University Hospital (RUH) announced that the newly installed Robotic Stereotactic Assistance (ROSA) at RUH had successfully performed a stereotactic epilepsy surgery.

Prior to the installation of ROSA, patients needing this procedure needed to travel out of the province.

Dr. Amit Persad this will drastically improve the level of diagnostic care for patients.

“It feels great,” he told CTV on Friday.

“I would say that there isn’t such thing as a comprehensive epilepsy centre in the developed world that does this without having a robot. It’s sort of something that’s mandatory to be able to offer this service to patients.”

The ROSA unit is the culmination of a $1.2 million fundraising campaign, by the RUH Foundation. It received a donation of $700,000 from the Belsher family.

As a result, the ROSA unit was named Erin in honour of Merlis Belsher’s granddaughter.

“The introduction of the ROSA robotic system, Erin, is an exciting advancement that reflects what is possible when clinical expertise, innovation, and community support come together,” said SHA CEO Andrew Will in a news release.

“This technology advances epilepsy care in our province and strengthens our ability to provide comprehensive treatment close to home. We are deeply grateful to RUH Foundation and the many donors whose support made this possible.”

The SHA said epilepsy can place major limits on independence, employment, driving and daily life.

The announcement was made on Purple Day – a global day for epilepsy awareness. According to the SHA, 12,000 people in Saskatchewan are living with epilepsy.

The SHA said the ROSA system will make things easier for patients and neurosurgeons alike.

ROSA helps surgeons place between 16 and 22 depth electrodes within the brain in a three-hour session, compared to just three or five in about eight or nine hours. This aids surgeons in decision-making and understanding where the seizures begin in the brain.

“This neurosurgical robot will improve outcomes for patients living with epilepsy who can now access safer, shorter and more precise surgeries, with quicker recovery times, closer to home,” said Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill in a news release.