Ground-breaking surgery aimed at curing teenager of epilepsy
- Feb 2, 2016
- EmmaArnold
Epileptic boy, 15, was experiencing seizures every day for seven years until he became one of the first people in Britain to undergo revolutionary surgery.
Surgeons used a £350,000 robot which created a 'sat-nav' of Billy Whitaker's brain to locate the exact spot which was triggering his seizures.
Although only two weeks since the operations, Billy has not experienced a seizure after surgeons pinpointed the epicentre of the attacks for the first time and medics are confident he has been cured for good.
They believe the pioneering robot represents a revolutionary transition into the 21st century for epilepsy surgery.
Helen Shaw, Senior Litigation Manager at PotterReesDolan, said:
Although very early days, being just two weeks since the surgery, it is hoped that this ground-breaking procedure will help to improve Billy’s quality of life and hopefully many others, where possible.
After undergoing conventional surgery in 2014 to remove part of his brain failed, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children decided he would be an ideal first child patient when they received their new Neuromates Robot.
Once scans were used to create a 3D map of Billy's brain, doctors used the machine to map and move to the chosen area where the electrode will be placed and guides the surgeon to make the incision.