Live AI guidance supports sight-saving brain tumour surgery

Rhys Hibbert’s pituitary tumour was threatening his sight. After surgery at London’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, he reported clearer vision and was walking independently within a week.

The operation was part of a UCL-led trial testing AI as an extra source of information for surgeons. Trained on previous operations, the system analyses live video from a camera passed through the nose and highlights important anatomy near the tumour. Millimetres matter when nerves and major blood vessels sit so close together.

The Pituitary Foundation explains that surgeons choose when to display the guidance using a foot pedal. The display also communicates the system’s confidence, helping the surgeon judge its suggestions.

An early research report found no AI-related complications, but recorded software problems that prevented use in some planned cases. The study was designed to test feasibility, not prove that AI improves outcomes.

Hibbert’s recovery is encouraging. Larger studies are needed to establish whether adding this guidance consistently helps protect patients’ sight and other functions during delicate surgery.