First and only ear surgical robot in the world tested in Szeged

The department is at the forefront of developing innovative devices that take patient care to an even higher level. A prominent area of medical excellence in Szeged is cochlear implantation, which involves the implantation of high-tech hearing aids or assistive listening devices.

The University of Szeged offers unique, modern conditions for the implantation of hearing aids. Decades of tradition, accumulated knowledge, modern equipment, openness and willingness to develop and apply innovations for the benefit of patients. These are the factors that enabled the University of Szeged to test one of the latest achievements in medical technology development, the RobOtol, a robot for minimally invasive otologic surgery. This robot is dedicated to assist in key steps of certain ear surgeries requiring high precision.

Dr. Ádám Perényi, member of the Szeged Hearing Improvement and Implantation Working Group, one of the doctors who regularly perform cochlear implantations said: ’We incorporated the otological surgery robot into our standard, minimally invasive surgical technique, so following manual insertion into the oval window, RobOtol placed the electrode into the cochlea while our team continuously monitored the process visually and electrophysiologically with a microscope and fluoroscopy. This process necessitates very slow and continuous movement that the human hand is unable to perform. The robot can insert the device at a speed of 0.1 mm/second. Our institute has always been open to innovations, we have published many of our own results in the field of minimally invasive surgical techniques and device development. We work together with engineers and specialists from instrument manufacturers, which is why it was important and gratifying to have the opportunity to test this new innovation. Our experience will also contribute to its improvement, thus making the procedure easier, faster and more efficient for the patients.’

Szeged ENT and Head and Neck Surgery has a unique equipment pool, with few other ear, nose and throat surgeries of its kind in the world.

’We have a top-of-the-range surgical microscope, a facial nerve stimulator and a C-arm X-ray fluoroscopy unit for intraoperative imaging. But all this would be worth nothing without the human expertise that has been accumulated over decades by the specialists at the university. In our case, too, a close-knit team is needed, as ear surgery is one of the most precise ENT interventions, where it is important that everyone performs to the highest standards, as the steps of the procedure are interdependent. Not only the surgery itself, but the whole process requires coordinated and precise teamwork: auditory screening, patient selection, consultation with the patient and his/her family, preoperative examinations, individualised device, surgery, patient care, adjustment and aftercare,’ emphasised Dr Ádám Perényi.

RobOtol can help with 3 types of surgery: cochlear implantation, stapedotomy (insertion of a piston prosthesis to replace the stapes) and endoscopic ear surgeries.

The device can help to enhance the protection and preservation of the internal structures of the cochlea, thus preserving and utilising the patient's residual hearing. Less fibrous tissue will form inside the cochlea, which is important from an electrophysiological point of view, for the use of residual hearing and for the subsequent replacement of the implant.