Role of artificial intelligence in performing surgery
In recent years, information technology has become the backbone of every industry and business sector, including medical science. The equipment and machines in the medical field are being manufactured using the latest technologies and innovations. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence is being globally adopted to perform surgical procedures more safely. People might find it shocking & insecure about getting operated by surgeons getting assistance from an AI-based robot. But in reality, AI-assisted surgeries are gaining popularity around the world due to their benefits & safety. Many medical experts around the world are already favoring AI-based surgical operations, while others are still exploring it. To understand it better, let’s check out the role of artificial intelligence in performing surgeries more safely.
Connection Between Artificial Intelligence & Medical Science!
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the transformation of machines into smart machines through algorithms. These algorithms help enhance the reasoning and cognitive abilities of the machine. Thus, it includes problem-solving skills, language processing, objects identification, and decision-making abilities, etc. As a result, AI is being implemented in medical procedures like surgeries, to improve the outcomes and safety of patients.
The programming in AI-based robots can help in analyzing the most critical cases to find the best possible solutions, risks, and outcomes. Moreover, they can assist the surgeons to perform surgical procedures with more precision and efficiency. Smart and cognitive capabilities of AI facilitate this process, which allows a comprehensive analysis of structured and unstructured information. This information includes electronic medical records (EMR), vital signs, laboratory test reports, video footage, and doctor’s notes. All this information is analyzed and processed by the AI-based systems to provide the surgeons with the best outcomes & solutions. Ultimately, this helps in improving and aiding the decision-making process for surgeons.
Four Main Subfields Of AI
Artificial Intelligence has four main subfields in the field of medical science.
- Machine Learning (ML) – Machine Learning is the process of analyzing the data to recognize the basic patterns & frameworks in all kinds of cases. This allows the computers to provide more precise and probable predictions to surgeons. In brief, ML applies several algorithms to a single data set to offer more enhanced predictions than traditional statistical techniques. In several medical studies, ML applications surprisingly performed better than traditional prediction methods, such as decision-tree. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the ML application were much better than the traditional decision-tree model.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) – As the name suggests, natural language processing refers to the computer’s capability to understand and process human language. Thus, NLP may help analyze and integrate various types of medical records into the AI-based systems. These medical records include the descriptions and statements given by the physicians. As a result, the NLP technology will permit the doctors to write their statements in natural language freely. Therefore, the doctors won’t have to select the only options or sentences that the system can understand.
So the medical case histories will be much more accurate, understandable, & easy to process.
- Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) – The artificial neural networks help a computer system to process information and provide results, just like our brain. This means that the system processes different types of data or information & gives outputs respectively. Basically, the process includes recognizing the basic patterns of the cases and classifying their data accordingly. For example, several medical studies showed that the accuracy of ANNs was amazing in cases of various health disorders. In all the cases, basic information like patient’s medical records, history, medicines, BP, and total hospitalization days went through analysis by ANNs.
- Computer Vision (CV) Computer vision refers to the capability of AI-based machines to understand and process graphical data, like images & videos. Basically, image-based analysis helps to recognize similar medical cases, perform detailed studies, and improve surgical decision-making. Moreover, CV allows the surgeons to make real-time decisions during surgeries to recognize and act in response to surgical problems. These problems include the difficulties and errors that might happen during the surgery.
The Final Verdict
Well, artificial intelligence possesses the ability to revolutionize the medical field. Moreover, surgeons play a very crucial role in making AI-based surgical procedures a success in the long run. The AI-based systems use multiple algorithms to analyze all case scenarios, medical reports, narratives, and patterns in-depth. Consequently, all the predictions will provide a much more detailed idea about the possible outcomes, which can be missed by the human mind. Moreover, the real-time predictions will also help the surgeons to perform surgeries with minimum incision, more accuracy, and zero errors. Thus, the chances of successful surgeries may increase through advanced AI-based systems.
However, the AI systems are also vulnerable to impractical beliefs that can disappoint in realistic situations. For instance, these systems might not enhance all kinds of analysis techniques. Furthermore, these systems might also not provide accurate predictions for women and underrepresented people in medical examinations. Also, the predicted patterns of these technologies might be unidentifiable by the surgeons and cause complications in medical studies.
Thus, surgeons need to work together with patients to create more diverse data models for AI-based systems. Additionally, these systems should be more transparent to understand the predictions in a more clear way. Hence, the role of artificial intelligence in performing surgeries more safely can be improved for a higher success rate.
