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Updated: Apr 10, 2026
Building An Open-source Robotic Stereotaxic Instrument
Published on: October 29, 2013
Neurosurgical Robot-Assisted Navigation Enhances Precision in Bypass Surgery for Moyamoya Disease: A Study of
Hongwen Li1,2, Suqin Zhang1,3, Yang Li1,2
1Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Background:
Despite improvements in revascularisation, precise donor vessel localization and haemodynamic optimization remain critical challenges in moyamoya disease (MMD) bypass surgery, especially for patients with pre-existing extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) collaterals. This study evaluates the feasibility of neurosurgical robot-assisted navigation in addressing these challenges.
Methods:
Five consecutive MMD patients who received robot-assisted combined direct (STA-MCA) and indirect bypass from July to October 2023 were analysed retrospectively. Primary outcomes were intraoperative vessel injury rates and 12-month donor vessel patency on DSA/MRA.
Results:
All STA dissections (5/5) succeeded without MMA injury. Postoperative imaging showed no competitive flow or donor vessel occlusion. All patients exhibited improved cognitive scores and favourable clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up.
Conclusion:
Robot-assisted navigation enhances surgical precision in MMD through: Preserving EC-IC collaterals via millimetre-level trajectory planning and optimising anastomosis geometry to prevent competitive flow, which is important for patients with existing collaterals.
