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AI helps perform brain surgery on British man in world first

The AI tool analyzed live surgical video and helped surgeons remove the tumour while protecting Rhys Hibbert’s sight, doctors said.

  • During a procedure in May, 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert became the world's first patient to have a brain tumour removed using real-time artificial intelligence at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
  • An 11mm non-cancerous pituitary tumour threatened Hibbert's vision by pressing against optic nerves and carotid arteries, with clinicians facing a 25–50% risk of incomplete removal and a 0.5–2% chance of injuring major blood vessels.
  • Developed in-house at the UCL Hawkes Institute, the AI analyzed live surgical feeds to identify hidden anatomical structures in real time. "It is trained on more operations than most surgeons see or do in a lifetime," said Prof Hani Marcus.
  • Hibbert recovered quickly, noting his sight improved significantly within eight weeks. "When I opened my eyes after the operation it felt like I had got 360-degree vision," he said, reporting his energy returned and side effects vanished.
  • Researchers aim to develop a "ChatGPT for surgeons" to act as an expert advisor during operations, with the team currently working on a larger trial funded by Google and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
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Lean Left

A tumor of just 11 millimeters, grown in one of the most delicate areas of the brain, was quickly putting at risk the sight of Rhys Hibbert. To remove it, London's neurosurgeons have had a new ally in the operating room for the first time in the world: a system [...] L'articolo Brain cancer, the artificial intelligence guides surgeons in real time: in London saved the sight of a 48-year-old comes from Il Fatto Quotidiano.

·Rome, Italy
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Center

A 48-year-old British man became the first patient in the world to undergo a real-time brain surgery guided by artificial intelligence. Intervention allowed removal of a tumor and protected his vision, University College London Hospitals (UCLH) representatives announced, reports Euronews.

·Bucharest, Romania
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Right

Neurosurgery at the National Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital (NHNN) in London, part of the University College London Hospitals network (NHS Foundation Trust), performed the first operation in the world assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) to remove a brain tumor. The intervention saved the sight of Rhys Hibbert, a 48-year-old man, according to representatives of health authorities.

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The Independent broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
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