Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) can track surgical performance with pinpoint accuracy, but true mastery still requires a human teacher, American Council on Science and Health August 20 reports. A randomized trial of an AI-powered surgical tutoring system found that while algorithms provided real-time error detection, the best learning happened…
Editor's Note Laser cataract surgery is entering a new era where robotic systems and artificial intelligence (AI) work alongside surgeons to improve accuracy, efficiency, and patient outcomes. According to the July/August 2025 edition of Ophthalmology Times, recent advances in robotic integration, astigmatism management, and AI-driven imaging are minimizing variability, reducing…
Editor's Note University of California San Francisco (UCSF) became the first university to certify medical students as robotic surgery bedside assistants, giving future surgeons unprecedented hands-on training in a rapidly growing field, an August 25 UCSF news release reports. The program reportedly positions learners alongside attending surgeons, nurses, and scrub…
Editor's Note Early findings indicate the da Vinci 5 (DV5) platform’s force feedback technology can reduce the amount of force surgeons apply to tissue, potentially minimizing trauma during colorectal surgery. According to a pilot study published in the American Journal of Surgery on July 10, the feature allows surgeons to…
Editor's Note A surgical robot independently performed a lengthy phase of gallbladder removal with expert-level precision, according to a July 9 announcement from Johns Hopkins university. "This advancement moves us from robots that can execute specific surgical tasks to robots that truly understand surgical procedures," said medical roboticist Axel Krieger,…
Editor's Note In a world-first procedure, surgeons used an innovative transorbital approach to access a cancerous chordoma wrapped around the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord of a 19-year-old woman, bypassing structures that would have been endangered by a more traditional surgical route. Medical Xpress reported the news May 5. As…
Takeaways • US surgeons have no mandated retirement age. According to the Aging Surgeon Program, “a patient death or serious negative event are currently the only things that prompt action to prevent a surgeon from practicing.” • Research on aging-related decline is clear, but nuanced, showing rates and scope vary…
Editor's Note Although cadaver-based education is far from perfect, medical schools should reconsider eliminating these programs for surgeons and other professionals, first-year medical student Nadir Al Saidi argues in a March 31 commentary in Stat. “The weight of an actual body beneath your inexperienced hands is as real a preparation…
Editor's Note Aquablation is safe and effective for treating patients with benign prostatic hypoplasia (BPH) in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to a video published September 23 by the Urology Times. The video features a discussion with Kevin C. Zorn, MD, FRCSC, FACS, lead author of the study “Safety and…
Editor's Note Automated surgical video analysis could enhance evaluation of an OR team’s nontechnical skills, according to a study published July 31 in JAMA Network Open. Conducted between January 2021 and May 2022, the cross-sectional study involved 30 cardiovascular surgical teams at a teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Using OpenPose,…