Medical Milestone: London Surgeons Use AI to Save Patient's Sight

In a significant medical breakthrough, neurosurgeons in London have successfully performed the world’s first operation using live artificial intelligence (AI) assistance to remove a brain tumour. The procedure, which took place at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, has been hailed as a major step forward in surgical technology. According to BBC Health and The Guardian, the patient, 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert, has made a full recovery and has already returned to his job as a customer service manager.

Mr. Hibbert, a father-of-two from Bedfordshire, was diagnosed with an 11mm non-cancerous tumour on his pituitary gland in 2024. The pituitary gland is a small organ at the base of the skull that controls vital hormones. Because this gland sits very close to the carotid arteries—the main blood vessels supplying the brain—and the optic nerves that control vision, the surgery was extremely delicate. Before the operation, doctors warned that even a one-millimetre mistake could lead to serious consequences, including blindness, stroke, or death.

As reported by BBC Health, Mr. Hibbert’s condition had caused him to feel severely tired and dizzy, and he had begun to trip over objects as his vision worsened. When surgeons offered him the chance to be the first patient to undergo this AI-assisted procedure, he agreed without hesitation. He explained that he wanted to contribute to medical progress, noting that if patients do not participate in research, medicine cannot move forward.

The surgery involved inserting an endoscope, which is a thin camera on a stick, through the nose to reach the base of the skull. During the procedure, the AI system acted as a digital guide. It analysed a live video feed from the endoscope and displayed information on a second screen. Similar to facial recognition software on a smartphone, the AI identified important anatomical structures, such as nerves and vessels, and colour-coded them to show the safest areas for the surgeons to work. This provided a level of clarity that is often difficult to achieve, as human anatomy can vary significantly from person to person.

Dr. Sophia Bano, the technical lead for the AI system at University College London, explained that the tool was trained on hundreds of surgical videos. By watching these examples, the system learned to recognise critical structures and tissue interactions in real time. This exposure gives the AI a breadth of experience that would take a human surgeon many years to acquire. The technology is designed to support, not replace, the surgical team, who remained in full control throughout the entire process.

This operation follows previous reporting on the development of this technology, which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research as part of a clinical trial. Prof. Mike Lewis, the scientific director for innovation at the institute, stated that the procedure highlights the massive potential of advanced AI to support surgeons and improve overall patient care. For the average surgeon, who might perform only 10 to 20 of these specific operations per year, having this extra layer of digital support could prove invaluable.

For Mr. Hibbert, the results were life-changing. After the surgery, he reported that he could see clearly and was able to walk independently within just one week. He expressed his pride in being part of the history of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, which was founded in 1859 as the world’s first dedicated neurosurgical hospital. He noted that it felt fitting for the same institution to lead the way in this new era of AI-assisted medicine.

While this is the first time the system has been used on a patient, the hospital had previously used the technology as a research tool. As medical teams continue to evaluate the success of this operation, the focus will likely shift toward how this AI can be applied to other complex surgeries. By helping surgeons navigate the hidden "road signs" inside the human head, this technology offers a promising future for safer, more precise medical care.