Surgeons at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London have removed a brain tumour in what University College London Hospitals says is the world’s first successful AI-assisted operation of its kind.
The system analysed live camera footage during the procedure, helping the team identify nerves and blood vessels near the tumour, and joins a set of clinical tools that includes AI shown to assess some rare cancers more accurately than biopsy.
The operation was carried out in May, and details were withheld until Thursday while the patient recovered. It took place at NHNN, part of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which was founded in 1859 as the world’s first dedicated neurosurgical hospital.
The patient was Rhys Hibbert, a 48-year-old customer service manager from Bedfordshire. He had an 11mm tumour on his pituitary gland, diagnosed in 2024 and initially managed without surgery.
His symptoms worsened after the diagnosis and included severe hormone imbalance and problems with his vision. Health officials said that without the operation, he faced going blind.
