Artificial Intelligence in Surgical Decision-Making: A Comprehensive Review of Applications Across the Preoperative, Intraoperative, and Postoperative Continuum
Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, surgical decision-making, computer vision, clinical decision support, risk prediction, explainable AI, algorithmic bias, regulatory science.Abstract
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are increasingly embedded across the surgical care pathway, moving beyond early risk-scoring tools toward real-time intraoperative guidance, automated complication prediction, and clinical decision support for multidisciplinary oncologic planning. Whether this expanding footprint translates into genuinely improved surgical decision-making-as opposed to impressive but clinically unvalidated model performance-remains an open and actively debated question.
References
1. Limon D, Satish V, Raghavan N, Nguyen P, Rajesh A. Artificial Intelligence in Surgery Revisited: A 2025 Guide to Understanding and Applying AI Models in Clinical Practice. Am Surg. 2026;92(3):687-697. Doi: 10.1177/00031348251403592.




