{
  "id": 3733257,
  "title": "World’s first patient to undergo live AI-assisted brain surgery has tumour removed",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/worlds-first-patient-to-undergo-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery-has",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-27T12:05:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GBC Ghana",
    "slug": "gbc-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/technology/ai-assisted-brain-surgery/2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rhys Hibbert, a father-of-two from Bedfordshire, became the world's first patient to undergo brain surgery with live artificial intelligence assistance. Hibbert, a 48-year-old customer services manager, was diagnosed with an 11mm non-cancerous tumour growing on his pituitary gland, an organ located at the base of the skull that secretes vital hormones. The tumour was pressing on his optic nerves, narrowing his peripheral vision and causing him to feel severely fatigued and dizzy. Without the operation, Hibbert risked losing his sight, according to surgeons at University College London Hospital.\n\nDuring the surgery, an endoscope – a thin camera on a stick inserted via the nose to the base of the skull – was used to access the tumour, which was hidden behind layers of bone and tough membrane. The AI tool, called 'Surgical ChatGPT', analysed the live video feed of the operation in real-time. It tracked the surgical instruments and marked up areas where vital vessels and nerves were most likely to be, highlighting safe areas for tumour removal.\n\nSurgeons at the hospital explained that identifying the safest place to extract the tumour was not straightforward, as anatomy tends to differ between individuals. The risk of complications ranged from 25-50% of not getting the whole tumour out and 0.5-2% of injuring a major blood vessel. The AI assistance allowed surgeons to safely remove as much of the tumour as possible, ultimately saving Hibbert's vision. Hibbert expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this groundbreaking procedure, emphasizing the importance of patients joining research and contributing to the progress of medicine.",
  "summary": "The world’s first patient to have brain surgery with live artificial intelligence assistance has successfully had his tumour removed. Rhys Hibbert, a father-of-two from Bedfordshire, could have lost his sight without the operation, said surgeons at University College London Hospital. The AI tool analysed a video feed of the operation as it happened and advised […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Health",
        "title": "London neurosurgeons perform first successful AI-assisted operation to remove brain tumour",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/london-neurosurgeons-perform-first-successful-ai-assisted-operation",
        "published": "2026-08-26T23:01:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Health",
        "title": "World's first patient to undergo live AI-assisted brain surgery has tumour removed",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/worlds-first-patient-to-undergo-live-ai-assisted-brain-surgery-has",
        "published": "2026-08-26T23:07:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}