The global medical robotics market is undergoing exponential growth. According to Frontiers, the sector was valued at approximately US$27.7 billion in 2023, with projections reaching US$127 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 16.5%.
Adoption is most prominent in North America and Europe. In 2023, Europe alone had over 3,500 surgical robotic systems and performed more than 280,000 robotic surgeries, according to MarketGrowthReports.
That future has now reached Southeast Asia. In July, 2025, Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City performed Vietnam’s first robotic-guided brain surgery on a pediatric patient with drug-resistant epilepsy, signaling a breakthrough for the region’s neurosurgical capabilities.
A Precision-Based Intervention in Pediatric Epilepsy
The patient, B.Q.K., a 9-year-old boy from Hanoi, had suffered from epilepsy since 2021. Despite undergoing multiple treatment regimens across Vietnam and abroad, his condition remained refractory, sometimes experiencing dozens of seizures per day. For five years, his family had been searching for a definitive treatment.
That breakthrough came in 2025. On June 17, 2025, under the leadership of Dr. Truong Van Tri, with support from Japanese epilepsy specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shunsuke Nakae, the surgical team successfully applied stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) using the AutoGuide™ robotic guidance system. This marks the first-ever use of robotic SEEG for a pediatric patient in Vietnam.
The AutoGuide™ robot enabled precise electrode implantation into high-risk brain areas. These included the orbitofrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus—regions dense with blood vessels and neural pathways. Using 3.0 Tesla MRI and multi-channel EEG, doctors visualized brain activity, mapped the seizure focus, and performed a minimally invasive resection.
“For the first time, we achieved a near-perfect outcome in pediatric epilepsy surgery thanks to AutoGuide™. This is a critical milestone, especially for young patients who are highly vulnerable to major brain surgery,”said Dr. Tri.
The patient reported no neurological deficits post-surgery and has since resumed normal activities. His seizure frequency decreased by over 95%, reflecting both the efficacy and safety of the procedure.
Technology-Driven Medical Excellence
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30% of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant, with surgery often being their best option. Yet in children, localizing the seizure-causing brain zone is especially difficult, as conventional EEG, PET, or MRI frequently yield inconclusive results.
Robotic SEEG addresses these limitations by offering real-time, sub-millimeter accuracy, reduced invasiveness, and faster recovery times. With this breakthrough, Vinmec Central Park becomes one of the few hospitals in Asia capable of performing robotic pediatric SEEG. Recognized as Vietnam’s leading private hospital system for international patients, the robotic epilepsy surgery also reflects Vinmec’s broader strategy of developing centers of excellence.
Vietnam’s neurological care is progressing, bringing national standards closer to global benchmarks.
