World's first patient to undergo live AI-assisted brain surgery has tumour removed
Without brain surgery guided by live AI assistance, Rhys Hibbert could have lost his sight to a tumour.
Rhys Hibbert, a father of two from Bedfordshire, underwent the world's first patient surgery performed with live artificial intelligence (AI) assistance. The 48-year-old customer services manager from Bedfordshire was at risk of losing his vision due to a 11mm non-cancerous tumour on his pituitary gland. The AI system analyzed the live video feed of the operation, helping surgeons avoid crucial but hidden vessels and nerves in the brain.
The AI tool, similar to facial recognition technology, tracked surgical instruments and highlighted areas where the vessels and nerves were most likely to be, marking safe areas for tumour removal. During the surgery, Hibbert's optic nerves were affected, causing a narrowing of his peripheral vision. The surgery was successful, and Hibbert could see 360-degree vision within eight weeks of the operation, indicating significant improvement in his vision and energy levels.
The AI-assisted surgery is an example of a step towards developing a ChatGPT-like tool for surgeons to provide expert second opinions.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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