First successful AI assisted brain tumour surgery saves UK patient’s sight

Neurosurgeons at London's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery carried out what is described as the world's first brain tumour operation assisted by artificial intelligence analysing the live surgical video feed, rather than pre-operative scans alone. The tumour lay near the pituitary gland, where the blood vessels and nerves controlling vision sit within millimetres of critical structures and an error on that scale risks blindness, stroke or death. The system highlighted key anatomical landmarks in real time while decisions and control remained with the surgical team. This is an account of a single procedure, not a clinical study — no comparative data or outcomes across a patient group were reported, so nothing can yet be said about the method's effectiveness.