© Kelsey Kremer / The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
operating room
(New York, NY) – A Long Island man is regaining some movement after he became a quadriplegic in a pool accident three years ago – and it’s all thanks to surgery that made use of artificial intelligence. On Friday, 45-year-old Keith Thomas said he’s looking forward to regaining more movement and strength, so he can wipe the tears of gratitude from his eyes.
The team at Northwell Health in Massapequa used computer chips to help reconnect his brain to his spinal cord back in March. It was a 15-hour surgery that gave Thomas the ability to move his right arm and hand. Since then, he’s been gaining strength and dexterity. More than 100 million people deal with paralysis nationwide, and medical experts say this AI breakthrough is a major inspiration for those patients.
