London Surgeons Remove Brain Tumour in First AI-Assisted Operation of Its Kind
Surgeons at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London have removed a brain tumour in what University College London Hospitals (UCLH) calls the world’s first successful AI-assisted operation of its kind.
The Operation and Technology
The system analysed live camera footage during the procedure, helping the team identify nerves and blood vessels near the tumour. This joins a suite of clinical tools that includes AI shown to assess rare cancers more accurately than biopsy reports.
The operation, carried out in May, was on Rhys Hibbert, a 48-year-old customer service manager from Bedfordshire. Diagnosed with an 11mm tumour on his pituitary gland in 2024, his condition worsened, leading to severe hormone imbalances and vision problems. Without intervention, he faced going blind.
The pituitary gland, located behind the nasal cavity and beneath the optic nerves, is accessed via an endoscope inserted through the nose. The system processed the camera feed from this endoscope in real-time.
According to UCLH, the AI helped recognise critical anatomy, surgical instruments, and tissue interactions. However, the surgical team maintained full control of the procedure throughout.
Research Background
Technical lead Dr Sophia Bano explained that the system, having learned from hundreds of surgical videos, has gained extensive experience in a short time—exposure to more surgical examples than a surgeon would encounter in a decade.
An earlier stage of this UCL research programme was described in 2023, when the AI had been trained on over 200 recordings of pituitary surgery. Researchers then predicted AI assistance in brain surgery within about two years.
Patient Recovery and Impact
Hibbert’s vision improved significantly post-surgery, allowing him to return to work within weeks. He attributed his recovery to regaining "a 360-degree panoramic view of everything around me".
The operation also marked a historic moment for the hospital, which was founded in 1859 as the world’s first dedicated neurosurgical hospital. Hibbert noted, “It seems very fitting that the same hospital should also be the world’s first to carry out an AI-assisted neurosurgery.”
Funding and Future Directions
The operation was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), highlighting the potential of advanced AI to support surgeons and improve patient care, according to NIHR’s scientific director for innovation, Prof Mike Lewis.
The team has previously published findings related to this technology in a 2024 paper in npj Digital Medicine.