AI in Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery

This study focuses on bringing artificial intelligence into the operating room to assist with pituitary tumour surgeries performed through the nose. These procedures are technically demanding, and training new surgeons is often inconsistent. To address this, researchers at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery are testing AI systems that "watch" surgical videos in real-time to identify anatomy, instruments, and the specific phase of the operation. The core goal of the prospective trial is to improve education and team coordination without interfering with the surgery itself. The AI displays its analysis on tablets positioned for the surgical residents and nurses, rather than the lead surgeon. This setup allows the team to follow the procedure's progress, key anatomy and anticipate next steps without the surgeon needing to stop and explain. Because hospital internet can be unreliable, the study is prioritizing specialized hardware from NVIDIA that processes data locally. This "edge computing" approach ensures the AI is fast and doesn't require a live cloud connection to function. This trial will assess the device feasibility (IDEAL Stage 1 study, \~6 cases), followed by early safety and system technical refinement (IDEAL 2a study, \~20-30 cases).

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

The inclusion criteria will be:

1. Adult patients (above the age of 18 years old)
2. Undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery
3. Able to provide consent

The exclusion criteria will be:

1. Patients less than 18 years of age
2. Undergoing transcranial surgery or microscopic transsphenoidal surgery
3. Unable to provide consent e.g., cannot understand, mental illness, or later withdrawing consent

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