In England, 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert became the first patient in the world to undergo neurosurgery with live artificial intelligence support used during the operation. The operation, performed at University College London Hospital, removed an 11-millimeter benign tumor from the pituitary gland. The tumor was narrowing the patient’s peripheral vision by pressing on the optic nerves.
During the operation, artificial intelligence analyzed live images to identify areas where critical blood vessels and nerves might be located and tracked surgical instruments to mark safe intervention zones. While decision-making authority remained with the surgeons, the system was trained using images from hundreds of pituitary tumor operations.
The research team aims to turn the technology into a “surgical ChatGPT” system that surgeons can consult. Hibbert said after the operation that his vision and energy had improved, adding that the surgery had “given him his life back.”
Why it matters
This development shows that artificial intelligence is being positioned in neurosurgery not as an actor making decisions directly, but as a tool supporting the surgeon’s real-time assessment. By marking areas where critical blood vessels and nerves might be located, it aims to help determine safe intervention boundaries, particularly in pituitary tumors located near the optic nerves. The system’s training on images from hundreds of pituitary tumor operations demonstrates that this support is based on a specific surgical field and data from past operations. Although the research team’s goal of developing a more advanced advisory system shows an effort to expand the technology’s potential applications, the information currently available does not explain how it would be applied to different types of operations or surgical decision-making processes.