PATIENT SAFETY
Artificial intelligence for improving intraoperative surgical care
Published on
Jun 20, 2024
Global Surgical Education
Andrew P. Bain, Carla N. Holcomb, Herbert J. Zeh III, Ganesh Sankaranarayanan
Overview
This review explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing patient safety and surgical quality in the operating room. It outlines three key domains where AI contributes: intraoperative clinical decision support, team process monitoring and feedback, and technical proficiency. Through computer vision and deep learning applied to surgical video, AI can identify tools and anatomy, predict surgical steps, and evaluate performance. Systems like the Surgical Control Tower and the OR Black Box® synthesize various data streams to monitor teamwork, safety protocols, and communication. The review emphasizes the need for stakeholder engagement, standardization, ethical considerations, and continuous evaluation to ensure AI’s responsible and effective integration into surgical care.
Results
The review highlights promising results in applying AI to real-time surgical environments, including accurate identification of surgical instruments, detection of adverse events like bleeding, and evaluation of technical skills. It also demonstrates AI's ability to assess team dynamics, adherence to safety checklists, and sources of distraction or error through comprehensive monitoring tools. These advancements show potential to improve intraoperative decision-making and team performance.
However, successful outcomes depend on overcoming challenges such as standardizing data practices and ensuring ethical implementation, underscoring the need for a thoughtful, collaborative approach in integrating AI into surgical workflows.
Peer-reviewed Research
