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London neurosurgeons perform world's first AI-assisted brain tumour removal

World's first AI-assisted brain tumour surgery in London saves patient's sight.

AI News Feed · 2026-08-27 10:16

During the operation, the AI system analysed live camera footage while the surgical team remained in full control, helping identify nerves and blood vessels that should be avoided near the 11mm tumour on Hibbert's pituitary gland. Hibbert was able to walk independently without glasses or sticks within a week of the surgery and has since returned to work as a customer service manager. "It feels like I've got a 360-degree panoramic view of everything around me," he said.

The technology works by colour-coding important structures in the brain to help surgeons recognise tiny anatomy safely. The hospital had previously used it as a research tool, but this was the first time it was used on a patient. The pituitary gland, blood vessels and nerves controlling vision are tightly packed together, and health officials said "going a millimetre wrong can make a critical difference", potentially leading to blindness, stroke or death.

Dr Sophia Bano, an associate professor in robotics and AI at UCL and the technical lead for the AI system, said that by learning from hundreds of surgical videos, the system has been exposed to a breadth of surgical examples that would take a surgeon many years to encounter. "It is designed to help recognise critical anatomy, surgical instruments and tissue interactions in real time, supporting the surgeon during highly delicate procedures."

Hibbert, from Bedfordshire, was diagnosed in 2024 and initially managed without surgery, but his symptoms worsened, including severe hormone imbalance and vision problems. Without the operation, he faced going blind. He said the NHNN was founded in 1859 and was the world's first dedicated neurosurgical hospital, 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."

Prof Mike Lewis, scientific director for innovation at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which funded the operation as part of a clinical trial, said the "pioneering surgery" highlighted the potential of advanced AI to support surgeons and improve patient care.