AI-Assisted Neurosurgery Saves Patient’s Vision in London

Neurosurgeons at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) performed the world’s first successful AI-assisted operation to remove an 11 mm pituitary-gland tumour. The procedure took place in May and was kept confidential until the patient, 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert of Bedfordshire, began recovering. Health officials said the operation prevented imminent blindness, stroke or death that would have resulted without surgery.

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During the operation the AI system processed live camera footage, colour-coding nerves, blood vessels and the tumour to highlight structures that surgeons must avoid. The surgical team retained full control, using the visual cues to navigate the tightly packed anatomy around the pituitary gland. The technology had previously been used only as a research tool; this case marked its first clinical deployment on a patient.

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• Rhys Hibbert – 48-year-old patient, diagnosed in 2024 with hormone imbalance and vision loss.

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• Dr Sophia Bano – Associate professor in robotics and AI at University College London, technical lead for the AI system.

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• Prof Mike Lewis – Scientific director for innovation at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which funded the operation as part of a clinical trial.

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Dr Bano explained that the AI learned from “hundreds of surgical videos,” giving it exposure to a breadth of examples that would take a surgeon many years to encounter. She described the system as a real-time aid that recognises critical anatomy, instruments and tissue interactions to support surgeons during delicate procedures.

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Prof Lewis called the operation “pioneering,” saying it demonstrates the potential of advanced AI to support surgeons and improve patient care.

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• “When I came round … I could see everything in the room clearly,” — Rhys Hibbert

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