Use of robot-guided stereotactic placement of intracerebral electrodes for investigation of focal epilepsy: initial experience in the UK.

We describe the operative technique and our preliminary experience with use of the Renishaw neuromate(®) stereotactic robot to implant depth electrodes for investigation of focal epilepsy in the UK. Conventional electrocorticography involving a craniotomy and implantation of grids of electrodes directly onto the brain surface is invasive and carries a high risk of major complications such as acute subdural haematoma and infection. Robot-guided depth electrodes implantation for stereotactic electroencephalography is a less invasive technique that allows accurate implantation of multiple deep brain electrodes along predefined trajectories, and has not been associated with any major surgical complications in our initial experience.