{"slug": "uk-patients-sight-saved-in-worlds-first-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery", "title": "UK patient’s sight saved in world’s first live AI-assisted brain surgery", "summary": "A 48-year-old man, Rhys Hibbert, became the first patient in the world to undergo live AI-assisted brain surgery, performed in May at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), part of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to remove a pituitary gland tumour and save his sight. The AI, developed in-house at the UCL Hawkes Institute and trained on hundreds of brain surgery videos, colour-coded critical structures in real time during the procedure, helping surgeons avoid damaging nerves and blood vessels controlling vision. Consultant neurosurgeon Hani Marcus, who performed the surgery, said the UK homegrown AI helped reduce risk during the delicate operation.", "body_md": "# UK patient’s sight saved in world’s first live AI-assisted brain surgery\n\nRhys Hibbert became a part of history when he had his brain tumour removed\n\n- Bookmark\n- CommentsGo to comments\n\nA 48-year-old man has become the first patient in the world to have a brain tumour removed while medical teams utilised real-time [artificial intelligence](/tech/bill-gates-xi-jinping-china-ai-risks-b3039452.html) during surgery.\n\nSurgeons at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), part of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, operated on Rhys Hibbert using [novel technology](/news/business/business-reporter/ai-devices-intelligence-agents-tokens-b3036705.html) which helps identify miniscule brain anatomy by colour coding, or segmenting, crucial structures to help clinicians recognise them safely.\n\nThe hospital has been using the technology as a research tool for some time, but the operation conducted in May marked the very first occasion it has been used on a live patient.\n\nSpecialists used the innovative tool to remove a growth on Mr Hibbert’s pituitary gland.\n\nMr Hibbert, from Bedfordshire, said the operation saved his sight and he is now back at work as a customer services manager and a community volunteer.\n\nWithout the surgery the tumour could have caused him to become blind, but the operation saw the tumour successfully removed, protecting his sight.\n\nDuring the procedure, the AI analysed the live surgical feed in real time to highlight intricate brain structures.\n\nOfficials said that in this part of the brain, the pituitary gland, blood vessels and nerves controlling vision are tightly packed together and \"going a millimetre wrong can make a critical difference\".\n\nThe AI highlighted which precise areas to avoid while removing the tumour.\n\nMr Hibbert, who was diagnosed in 2024 said: \"The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery was founded in 1859… and was the world’s first dedicated neurosurgical hospital.\n\n\"So to me, it seems very fitting that the same hospital should also be the world’s first to carry out an AI-assisted neurosurgery.\n\n\"I’m very pleased to have had the opportunity to be cared for in the hospital… I’m also very humbled to have been asked if I’ll be prepared to be the world’s first patient in this research.\"\n\nHani Marcus, consultant neurosurgeon at the NHNN, UCLH and a professor of neurosurgery at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology who performed the surgery, said: \"Huge thanks to the trial participants and to the team committed to improving patient outcomes by taking this important first step globally and using UK homegrown AI to help reduce risk during these delicate surgeries.\"\n\nThe AI was developed directly \"in house\" at the UCL Hawkes Institute and was trained using hundreds of videos of brain surgeries.\n\nEarlier this summer clinicians at St Mark’s, the National Bowel Hospital, became the first outside of a research setting to use an advanced new AI tool which colour codes different parts of the body during live operations.\n\nThe tool, which is used alongside robotic or laparoscopic surgery, highlights different parts of the anatomy in real time on a screen, helping surgeons as they safely protect or dissect certain parts of the body during their operations.\n\nFor instance, connective tissue could be highlighted as turquoise or nerves could be highlighted in green, and other parts of the anatomy can be highlighted using other distinct colours.\n\n## Join our commenting forum\n\nJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies\n\n[Comments](#comments-area)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-patients-sight-saved-in-worlds-first-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery", "canonical_source": "https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/brain-surgery-ai-tumour-rhys-hibbert-eyesight-b3039844.html", "published_at": "2026-08-26 23:01:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-26 23:18:22.621758+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-research", "ai-products", "ai-safety"], "entities": ["Rhys Hibbert", "National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery", "University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust", "Hani Marcus", "UCL Hawkes Institute", "UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology", "St Mark's National Bowel Hospital"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-patients-sight-saved-in-worlds-first-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-patients-sight-saved-in-worlds-first-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-patients-sight-saved-in-worlds-first-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-patients-sight-saved-in-worlds-first-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery.jsonld"}}