London neurosurgeons successfully removed an 11-millimeter brain tumor from a 48-year-old patient in May, using the world's first live artificial intelligence (AI) assistance during surgery. The groundbreaking procedure, performed at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) in London, part of University College London Hospitals (UCLH), saved the patient, Rhys Hibbert, from Bedfordshire, England, from impending blindness. Details of the operation were made public on August 27, 2026, after Hibbert's full recovery.[timesofindia+2]
AI Becomes Surgeon's Real-Time Guide
The innovative AI system, developed by the UCL Hawkes Institute, did not perform the surgery itself but acted as an "expert second pair of eyes" for the surgical team.It analyzed a live video feed from the surgical endoscope as the operation happened, providing real-time feedback to the surgeons.This advanced AI, trained on hundreds of brain scans and annotated pituitary operations, identified critical structures like blood vessels and optic nerves by color-coding them on a separate screen.This allowed surgeons to avoid risky areas and pinpoint the safest path for tumor extraction.The system runs on Nvidia's Clara IGX platform, designed for real-time AI in medical devices.[timesofindia+12]
Traditional brain surgeries often rely on pre-operative scans, but the AI provided dynamic guidance, adapting to the live surgical environment.This is crucial in delicate procedures where anatomy can vary from person to person.Professor Hani Marcus, a consultant neurosurgeon at NHNN, performed the surgery alongside surgical resident Danyal Khan, with the AI running throughout the procedure.Professor Marcus emphasized that the surgeons maintained full control.[iflscience+7]
Patient's Sight Restored After Tumor Removal
Rhys Hibbert, a customer services manager and community volunteer, began experiencing vision problems after a seizure in December 2024.Scans revealed a non-cancerous 11-millimeter tumor on his pituitary gland, a marble-sized organ located at the base of the brain.The tumor began pressing on his optic nerves, causing him to lose his lower field of vision and requiring him to use walking sticks after frequent tripping.Hibbert volunteered to be the first patient to undergo surgery with the new AI assistance.[timesofindia+7]
His recovery was swift and remarkable. Within a week of the operation, Hibbert was walking without his sticks.He described his improved vision, stating, "It feels like I've got a 360-degree panoramic view of everything around me."The success of the operation meant his sight was fully restored."There are no road signs inside our head," Hibbert told The Times of India, highlighting the complexity surgeons face.[timesofindia+6]
Paving the Way for Future Neurosurgery
The pituitary gland is surrounded by vital structures, including the carotid arteries and optic nerves.Even a millimeter of error during surgery in this area can lead to severe complications like blindness, stroke, or even death.Standard UK surgeons typically perform 10 to 20 such operations annually.They face a 25 to 50 percent chance of leaving some tumor behind and a 0.5 to 2 percent risk of injuring a major blood vessel.The AI system significantly reduces these risks by offering precise, real-time guidance.[iflscience+8]
Dr. Sophia Bano, an associate professor in robotics and AI at UCL and the technical lead for the AI system, noted its extensive training."By learning from hundreds of surgical videos, [the system] has been exposed to a breadth of surgical examples that would take a surgeon many years to encounter," Bano told The Guardian.She added that the AI is designed to recognize critical anatomy, surgical instruments, and tissue interactions in real-time, supporting surgeons in highly delicate procedures.[theguardian+4]
The clinical trial that included Hibbert's surgery receives funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Google.UCL now aims for a larger AI surgery trial.The long-term vision is to develop an AI that acts like a "ChatGPT for the operating theatre," offering surgeons a reliable second opinion they can consult or overrule.This successful operation marks a significant step towards integrating advanced AI to improve patient outcomes in complex medical procedures.[timesofindia+5]
