A patient with severe lumbar vertebrae degeneration was back on his feet within the first hour after an operation at the Prince Naif Center for Medical Excellence and Innovation, the first minimally invasive robot-assisted lumbar spine surgery performed in Saudi Arabia.

The procedure was carried out by a specialised team from the Ministry of Interior's Medical Services using the ExcelsiusGPS robotic system. By pairing advanced surgical navigation with a robotic arm, the system lets the surgeon plan precisely and steer instruments during the operation while limiting harm to nearby tissue.

The surgery is among the first achievements of the centre, part of the Medical Services programme that runs the ministry's medical cities. The centre is developing spinal surgery by adopting advanced technology and drawing on Saudi talent, international expertise and knowledge transfer.

The ministry presents the operation as a step towards advanced treatment models in its centres of excellence and readier medical cities, with patients' quality of life and speedy recovery as the priority.