AI helps perform brain surgery on British man in world first
The AI tool analyzed live surgical video and helped surgeons remove the tumour while protecting Rhys Hibbert’s sight, doctors said.
- During a procedure in May, 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert became the world's first patient to have a brain tumour removed using real-time artificial intelligence at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
- An 11mm non-cancerous pituitary tumour threatened Hibbert's vision by pressing against optic nerves and carotid arteries, with clinicians facing a 25–50% risk of incomplete removal and a 0.5–2% chance of injuring major blood vessels.
- Developed in-house at the UCL Hawkes Institute, the AI analyzed live surgical feeds to identify hidden anatomical structures in real time. "It is trained on more operations than most surgeons see or do in a lifetime," said Prof Hani Marcus.
- Hibbert recovered quickly, noting his sight improved significantly within eight weeks. "When I opened my eyes after the operation it felt like I had got 360-degree vision," he said, reporting his energy returned and side effects vanished.
- Researchers aim to develop a "ChatGPT for surgeons" to act as an expert advisor during operations, with the team currently working on a larger trial funded by Google and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
54 Articles
54 Articles
World’s First Live AI-Assisted Brain Surgery Patient Has Tumour Removed
What if an AI could act as a surgeon’s second pair of eyes—while the operation was still happening? That is now a reality after doctors at University College London Hospital used live AI assistance to remove a brain tumour.Rhys Hibbert, a 48-year-old father of two, faced worsening vision. An 11mm benign tumour near his pituitary gland began pressing against his optic nerves.Without surgery, he could have lost his sight. During the procedure, sur…
World's first vision-guided brain tumor surgery saves man's eyesight
A real-time machine intelligence system has supported a neurosurgeon during a live brain operation for the first time, helping doctors remove a pituitary tumor while protecting the patient’s eyesight. The procedure took place at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London as part of a clinical trial. Surgeons used software developed at University College London to analyze the operation’s live video feed. The system identified …
A 48-year-old man has had a brain tumor removed in the world's first successful neurosurgical operation with the help of artificial intelligence.
The tool guided surgeons in the removal of the tumor that suffered
Until just a year and a half ago, Rhys Hibbert lived a normal life. He was 48 years old, worked as a customer care officer, lived in the English county of Bedfordshire with his family and used to take the lunch break to walk about three kilometers. It was during one of those walks, in December 2024, that he lost consciousness and suffered a convulsion in the street, an episode that led to a series of medical tests and, finally, to the discovery …
Rhys Hibbert, 48, could have been blinded if he had not been subjected to this revolutionary operation, carried out by surgeons at the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, doctors at University College London Hospital reported.The AI tool analyzed the video transmission of the operation in real time and advised surgeons on how to avoid crucial, but hidden, blood vessels and brain nerves, allowing them to safely remove most of the tum…
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