A Tumor Threatened His Sight. Surgeons Used a New Tool to Remove It in a World

A Tumor Threatened His Sight. Surgeons Used a New Tool to Remove It in a World-First Brain Surgery

During a history-making operation in London, new technology helped neurosurgeons avoid critical structures and protect a patient’s vision.

Neurosurgeons in England have just carried out the world’s first brain tumor removal guided by artificial intelligence.

A patient had a non-cancerous tumor removed from his pituitary gland at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. The tumor had begun pressing on his optic nerves and narrowing his peripheral vision. If it had been left untreated, it could have eventually rendered him blind. 

The operational study, which was published pre-print

The operational study, which was published pre-print in medRxiv, said the tumor was successfully removed and protected the patient’s vision.

Pituitary surgery is already one of the most delicate procedures in medicine. The gland, which sits at the base of the brain, is roughly the size of a marble.

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Surgeons typically reach it through the nose using an endoscope, working upward toward the skull base. In that cramped space, even the smallest incorrect movement can lead to blindness, stroke, or even death.

The AI system, developed at University College London’s

The AI system, developed at University College London’s Hawkes Institute and funded by the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Research alongside Google, was built to identify risky areas to avoid while removing as much of the tumor as possible.

The patient said in a release that he was “very pleased to have had the opportunity to be cared for in the hospital… I’m also very humbled to have been asked if I’ll be prepared to be the world’s first patient in this research.”

Source: www.inc.com