The $1M Microscope Giving Surgeons a Closer Look.
- Perth Children's Hospital Foundation
The $1M Microscope Giving Surgeons a Closer Look.
- Perth Children's Hospital Foundation
New state-of-the-art technology funded by Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF) is helping surgeons navigate complex brain surgeries with extraordinary precision – with five-year-old Riley among the first to benefit.
For more than two years, Riley’s family has lived with the fear of her next stroke. Riley, a bubbly five-year-old from Margaret River, has a rare genetic condition that causes the blood vessels throughout her body to behave abnormally, leaving her particularly vulnerable to stroke.
Since suffering her first transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or ‘mini stroke’, in July 2024, she has experienced more than 25 strokes. Her family has watched her suddenly lose her speech, struggle to move parts of her body and, at times, be unable to get words out at all.
Now, following two complex brain surgeries at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH), Riley hasn’t had a TIA since April – with her family hopeful that the new blood vessels growing in her brain will continue to improve blood flow and protect her from future strokes.
Riley is one of the first kids in WA to benefit from PCH’s new state-of-the-art neuro-microscope, following its arrival at the hospital earlier this year thanks to a $1 million investment by PCHF.
PCH is the first children’s hospital in Australia to acquire the technology, which combines advanced magnification and illumination with AI-powered and robotic features to give surgeons greater precision and visualisation when operating on the brain and spine.
PCHF CEO Carrick Robinson said the investment would help ensure PCH remained at the forefront of paediatric healthcare.
“Our $1 million investment is about giving PCH surgeons access to the very best tools available as they care for children like Riley with incredibly complex conditions,” Mr Robinson said. “As the first children’s hospital in Australia to have this technology, we’re proud to be leading the way in bringing next-generation surgical technology to WA kids and their families.”
For Riley, this level of precision was critical, with the vessels surgeons were working with measuring just half a millimetre wide.
Riley has a rare genetic condition called multisystemic smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome (MSMDS), caused by a mutation in the ACTA2 gene. She is one of just four known cases in Australia, with up to 80 cases known worldwide.
The condition affects smooth muscle throughout the body, including the heart, lungs, digestive system and blood vessels. In Riley’s brain, smaller blood vessels can narrow or close over time, restricting blood flow and increasing her risk of stroke. After extensive consultation with specialists, Riley’s medical team determined that a highly specialised revascularisation surgery could help improve blood flow to her brain.
Photographs documenting Riley’s treatment and recovery journey.
The first surgery, on the right side of Riley’s brain, was performed in July 2025. When surgeons began preparing for a second surgery on the other side of Riley’s brain earlier this year, they discovered something remarkable – her brain had begun growing its own new blood vessels.
These tiny collateral vessels had developed not only around the site of Riley’s first surgery, but also on the opposite side of her brain, creating new pathways for blood to reach the brain – like roots branching through soil. This meant surgeons could not simply repeat the first operation. A blood vessel they had originally planned to move was now providing an important blood supply to Riley’s brain and needed to be preserved.The new neuro-microscope gave the surgical team an exceptionally detailed view of these tiny vessels, allowing them to see which vessels were already supplying Riley’s brain and adapt the second surgery to save them.
Riley’s surgeon, Dr Edward White said the technology had been incredibly valuable in helping the team understand Riley’s changing brain anatomy and tailor the surgery to her individual needs.
“Blood vessels are around half a millimetre wide, so these are structures that are incredibly difficult to see with the naked eye,” Dr White said. “The technology gives us a much clearer view of what we are working with and, in Riley’s case, allowed us to tailor the surgery to preserve the blood vessels already supplying her brain.”
The neuro-microscope also incorporates fluorescence imaging, allowing surgeons to use a contrast dye to visualise vascular structures in real time, alongside voice controls and robotic assistance that automate microscope adjustments during surgery.
PCH neurosurgeon Dr Snigdha Saha said the technology was already proving valuable across the hospital’s neurosurgical services.
“Better visualisation can help make surgery safer and more accurate for patients,” Dr Saha said. “We’ve already used the microscope for brain tumour resection and the additional features such as voice command and robotic assistance, automating adjustments and visual workflows, were highly useful and has facilitated good outcomes.”
Over the past year, surgeons at PCH have performed more than 130 neurosurgeries, highly complex procedures demanding exceptional precision and care, where every millimetre matters. The microscope is expected to be used in more than half of neurosurgeries at PCH, including neurovascular, brain cancer and spinal cases.
It will be particularly valuable for procedures involving delicate blood vessels, including aneurysms, revascularisation techniques to restore blood flow, and conditions involving narrowing or blockage of arteries at the base of the brain.
While Riley’s surgeries aren’t an instant fix, the early signs are encouraging. The hope is that the new blood supply will continue to develop, creating more collateral vessels and ultimately reducing Riley’s risk and frequency of stroke.
Riley’s mum, Stephanie, said the family was incredibly grateful to the team at PCH for continuing to research and find new ways to treat Riley’s rare condition.
“Parenting a child with a complex medical condition, there will always be a worry in the back of your mind of what is next,” Stephanie said. “However, we will take all the good days we can get and right now, Riley is stroke-free since April, and we are beyond thankful for that!”