Medical breakthrough in Al-Ahsa: Robot restores hearing to infant at Al-Jabr Hospital
The health sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recorded a new medical achievement that adds to the series of successive successes in the field of microsurgery, as the Cochlear Implant Center at Al-Jabr Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, affiliated with the Al-Ahsa Health Cluster, was able to perform the first cochlear implant operation using the advanced robotic system “OtoDrive”.
This achievement represents a qualitative leap in the medical services provided in the region, as the precise surgical intervention targeted an 11-month-old girl who was suffering from bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, a medical condition that requires urgent intervention to ensure that the speech and language centers in the brain are not affected, which posed a real threat to the girl’s future in communication, speech and social integration.
Extreme precision and "OtoDrive" technology
The complex surgical procedure took approximately three hours, during which the specialized medical team relied on a highly precise robotic arm to control the speed and trajectory of the hearing implant insertion. The "OtoDrive" technology is distinguished by its ability to provide a high degree of stability that cannot be achieved by the naked human hand, thus minimizing even the smallest vibrations during surgery.
This robotic technology has effectively contributed to reducing the side effect on surrounding tissues, and ensuring the preservation of the sensitive auditory hairs and the basilar membrane inside the ear, which are vital elements that play a major role in the patient’s future hearing quality after the device is activated.
The importance of early intervention and the future of surgeries
This procedure is particularly important given the patient's age. Experts emphasize that cochlear implantation in children under one year old significantly enhances their chances of acquiring language naturally and reduces the gap between the child and their peers with normal hearing. Using a robot in such delicate cases provides an additional guarantee of the procedure's success and minimizes the likelihood of medical complications compared to traditional methods.
Keeping pace with the health transformation and Vision 2030
The Al-Ahsa Health Cluster described this step as a qualitative leap in cochlear implant surgeries, noting that the precision of fixing the implant inside the tympanic scaffold cavity is reflected positively and directly on the results of the operations and the quality of sound that the patient will receive.
This achievement is consistent with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which seeks to adopt and localize the latest global medical technologies to raise the quality of specialized health services provided to citizens and residents, thus contributing to improving the quality of life and reducing the need to travel abroad to receive advanced treatments.
