- Apple’s Vision Pro headset was used in a world-first operation
- It has since been used in hundreds of similar operations
- It could help to transform operating theatres, believes a surgeon
If you need surgery, your surgery can be performed by a surgeon the next time you go under the knife, using an Apple Vision Pro headset. That’s because the world’s first successful optical cataract removal procedure has been completed using one of Apple’s headsets — and it’s gone on to aid dozens of other medical surgeries in the past year alone.
The operation did not actually take place until October 2025, but the surgeon in question – Dr. Eric Rosenberg, DO, MSE — has since performed “hundreds” of subsequent procedures, according to a news release.
It all happened at the SightMD practice in New England, which is owned by Dr. Rosenberg. Using a Vision Pro app called ScopeXR (also developed by Dr. Rosenberg), the surgeons were able to visualize the operation “in immersive stereoscopic 3D while simultaneously accessing real-time surgical overlays and comprehensive preoperative diagnostic data, all without breaking sterile technique.”
The article continues below
Dr. Rosenberg had plenty of praise for Vision Pro: “This isn’t just about a new device, it’s about reimagining what the operating room of the future looks like.” Speaking of ScopeXR, he said: “We’ve created a platform that makes surgeons safer, smarter and more connected.”
Fulfilling Vision Pro’s potential
One way ScopeXR was able to leverage Vision Pro was by enabling collaboration between surgeons and consultants, even if they weren’t all in the same room together. Assistants and mentors could remotely connect to the feed from Vision Pro and communicate in real time.
As Dr. As Rosenberg put it, “We are now able to bring the world’s best surgeon into any operating room, at any time, from anywhere on the planet.” It has a number of uses, from training surgeons to helping with unexpected complications.
Apple’s Vision Pro is often held up as an expensive flop, with its future existence often called into question, and it’s true that the device seems to have struggled to gain traction in the consumer world. But flip over to the other side of the coin and the product seems to perform well in industrial, medical and similar environments.
Perhaps this is where the Vision Pro is best placed to fulfill its potential. Apple is said to be working on lightweight smart glasses, and it would likely be a more consumer-friendly device. But for more demanding users like operating theaters around the world, Vision Pro’s incredibly advanced specifications could be just what is needed.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
The best laptops for all budgets
