--- title: "Surgeons Use Apple VR Headset During Spinal Operation" description: "A surgery team in the UK successfully utilized the recently-released Apple Vision Pro to assist spinal surgery." date: "2024-03-12" modified: "2024-03-12" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/surgeons-apple-headset-spinal-operation" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Prosthetics and Devices" tags: - "apple" - "augmented reality" - "health" - "surgery" --- # Surgeons Use Apple VR Headset During Spinal Operation ![A surgery team in the UK successfully utilized the recently-released Apple Vision Pro to assist spinal surgery.]() *\Image: Justin Sullivan via Getty / Futurism\* A surgery team in the UK successfully utilized the recently-released Apple Vision Pro to assist spinal surgery — a fascinating use case for the augmented reality (AR) headsets that goes far beyond [movie-watching](), [productivity-hacking](), or [distracted driving](). As [*Business Insider* reports](), the expensive "spatial computing" device was used to execute two microspinal procedures at London's Cromwell Hospital. To be clear, it wasn't the surgeons themselves who were wearing bunky AR headsets. The device was instead donned by an assisting surgical scrub nurse, who [according to a press release]() used headset-integrated software called eXeX to access things like "surgical setup and the procedural guides from within the sterile field of the operating theatre," in addition to any needed data or surgical visualizations. So, in short: coupled with the eXeX software, the headset offered the folks in the operating room hands-free access to documents and other information related to the procedure and its workflow. Pretty cool! "It's a real privilege to be the first team in the UK and Europe to use this software within surgery," Syed Aftab, a surgeon involved in the procedures, [said]() in a statement, "and I'm looking forward to seeing how this technology advances and the impact it can have across hospitals in the UK." This certainly [wouldn't be the first time]() virtual reality tools were applied in medical settings. For[ years](), doctors have used VR-enabled modeling as a way to study and train for medical procedures, simulating surgeries and other treatments; in some cases VR has even been used to give patients a glimpse into their bodies and treatment options. And that said, virtual reality has also unsurprisingly found broad applications in the realm of [medical education](). Apple even touted the burgeoning healthcare applications for its new headset in a [recent press release](), with the company's VP of worldwide developer relations Susan Prescott saying she was "thrilled to see the incredible apps that developers across the healthcare community are bringing to Apple Vision Pro." "The imagination and drive of our developers, combined with the technical capabilities of visionOS, are igniting new possibilities for physicians, frontline workers, and even students," she added, "and we can't wait to see what's to come." To that end, in the world of medical applications, the Vision Pro's capacity for users to see "through" it may well offer the headset a competitive edge against rivals. Unlike other bulky headsets, the device is outfitted with cameras that let wearers — though often still very awkwardly — see the environment outside of their goggles. Which is something you probably want for someone assisting in an active operating room. For its part, the hospital where the successful microspinal surgeries in question were performed seems pleased with the results. Our hearts do go out to the nurse, though — the success of the surgery aside, strapping a 1.5-pound face computer to your skull for hours on end [likely wasn't all too comfortable](). **More on VR and sugery:** [*Surgeons Use VR Headsets to Separate Conjoined Twins*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()