A Comparation Between Frame-Based and Robot-Assisted in Stereotactic Biopsy.

Introduction: Frame-based stereotactic biopsy is well-established to play an essential role in neurosurgery. In recent years, different robotic devices have been introduced in neurosurgery centers. This study aimed to compare the SINO surgical robot-assisted frameless brain biopsy with standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy in terms of efficacy, accuracy and complications.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 151 consecutive patients who underwent stereotactic biopsy at Chongqing Sanbo Jiangling Hospital between August 2017 and December 2021. All patients were divided into the frame-based group ( = 47) and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group ( = 104). The data collected included clinical characteristics, diagnostic yield, operation times, accuracy, and postoperative complications.

Results: There was no significant difference in diagnostic yield between the frame-based group and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group (95.74 vs. 98.08%, > 0.05). The mean operation time in the SINO surgical robot-assisted group was significantly shorter than in the frame-based group (29.36 ± 13.64 vs. 50.57 ± 41.08 min). The entry point error in the frame-based group was significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.33 ± 0.40 mm (0.47-2.30) vs. 0.92 ± 0.27 mm (0.35-1.65), < 0.001]. The target point error in the frame-based group was also significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.63 ± 0.41 mm (0.74-2.65) vs. 1.10 ± 0.30 mm (0.69-2.03), < 0.001]. Finally, there was no significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups.

Conclusion: Robot-assisted brain biopsy becomes an increasingly mainstream tool in the neurosurgical procedure. The SINO surgical robot-assisted platform is as efficient, accurate and safe as standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy and provides a reasonable alternative to stereotactic biopsy in neurosurgery.