The use of robotic assistance in brain surgeries has helped improve precision and safety while making operations quicker, according to surgeons at Queen Mary Hospital.

Introduced in January 2024, the robot is designed specifically to make surgeries minimally-invasive with a fully automatic positioning assistance system.

"[After planning] our target and trajectory, with a press of a button, the robotic arm will automatically guide us to where we're supposed to go," said Dr Benedict Taw, a neurosurgeon.

The system allowed surgeons to execute procedures with greater accuracy and reduced margins of error, as the robot is able to pinpoint locations of the brain.

"Since we can now do more precise and thorough examinations with the robotic arm, we may not need to conduct invasive open-brain examinations which most patients are scared of and unable to accept," he said.

Dr. Taw also said shorter procedures reduced the risks facing patients.

"The most important thing is that it reduces the overall surgery time, which also means that the time where the patient is under anaesthesia and other surgical measures is lower.

"It saves a lot of time... and saving a lot of time means lowering the operation risks for the patient."