'Better than 20/20 vision': Blind woman undergoes pioneering AI-powered eye surgery in UK

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has ushered in an era of exponential growth and advancement in the field of medical science. In recent years, modern medical technology has taken huge strides in the forward direction, with the future brimming with countless possibilities.

One such revolutionary feat, blending AI with laser surgery, was recently achieved at Focus Clinics in London, UK. A legally blind 31-year-old Portuguese woman named Patrícia Gonçalves successfully regained her vision, thanks to a groundbreaking AI-powered Lasik surgery, marking a new turning point in medical technology, according to a report by the Blind Ambition. She became the first person in the UK to receive this cutting-edge treatment.

In addition to restoring one's sight, this innovative technique also reportedly has the capability to push the boundaries of what a normal human eye is capable of. As per the report, Gonçalves' eyesight after the surgery is now better than a normal 20/20 vision. Hailing from Portugal, Gonçalves is a recent graduate from the University of Oxford.

She was diagnosed with severe astigmatism and acute shortsightedness in her childhood, and grappled with extreme vision-related problems from a very young age.

Gonçalves spent around £6,500 for this procedure, which created a digital clone of her eyes using a high-tech scanning technology. An AI software was able to simulate and evaluate around 2,000 various laser treatment procedures in order to optimise the final result of the entire process.

“She has worn glasses since she was five years old, is legally blind without them, and cannot see the huge ‘E’ letter at the top of the eye test chart,” said chief eye surgeon at Focus Clinics, Dr David Allamby to The Telegraph, before the surgery. Gonçalves' surgery was performed under the supervision of Dr Allamby.

"Her best vision pre-op was worse than 20/200 and with glasses was just 20/20. Today, she can see 20/16, so better than 20/20, and has gained one more line down the test chart," Dr Allamby said after the successful completion of the procedure.