Surgeon Performs Cataract Surgery Using Apple Vision Pro

Vision Pro Used in Cataract Surgery, Pioneering a New Era of Remote Expertise

An ophthalmologist has performed hundreds of cataract procedures using Apple’s Vision Pro headset, leveraging a custom-built platform to stream 3D microscope feeds and enable real-time remote collaboration.

Dr. Eric Rosenberg, an ophthalmologist at SightMD, first performed cataract surgery using Apple's Vision Pro headset in October 2025. Since then, he has utilized the device for hundreds of additional procedures.

The surgery relied on ScopeXR, a surgical platform co-developed by Rosenberg specifically for the Vision Pro. This platform streams live feeds from 3D digital surgical microscopes directly into the headset, providing surgeons with stereoscopic 3D views and overlaying critical preoperative diagnostic data.

"We are now able to bring the world's best surgeon into any operating room, at any hour, from anywhere on the planet."

ScopeXR also enables a significant leap in collaborative medicine. It facilitates real-time remote collaboration, allowing other surgeons to observe procedures virtually as if they were in the room.

According to a company press release, Dr. Rosenberg emphasized the transformative potential of the technology, stating: "This technology democratizes access to expertise and that will save vision."

While the Vision Pro has faced a slow start in the consumer market—limited largely by its $3,499 price tag and physical size—Apple has doubled down on enterprise and professional use cases. The company has specifically targeted specialized fields such as medicine, aviation training, and industrial design.

Despite this success in niche professional applications, reports indicate that no new Apple Vision headsets are in active development, and Apple is pivoting its strategy toward lightweight smart glasses.

In a related move, Apple introduced an updated Vision Pro model in October 2025, now powered by the M5 chip, signaling continued support for the existing platform even as the company shifts its long-term vision.