London surgeons use real-time AI to remove brain tumor

Neurosurgeons at University College London Hospitals have performed the first brain surgery using real-time artificial intelligence assistance to remove a tumor. The procedure, conducted at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, involved the removal of an 11-millimeter benign tumor from the pituitary gland of 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert.

The AI software analyzed live surgical video to identify and highlight critical anatomical structures, such as nerves and blood vessels, using a color-coded system. This guidance was vital because the tumor was located near structures essential for vision, and errors of even one millimeter could have resulted in blindness, stroke, or death.

Developed at University College London, the technology was trained on hundreds of previous pituitary tumor removal videos. Professor Hani Marcus, who performed the surgery, noted that the system acts as a “second pair of expert eyes,” having been trained on more operations than most surgeons perform in a lifetime. The details of the May operation were released recently to allow for the patient's full recovery.