Use of artificial intelligence for decision-support to avoid high-risk behaviors during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Bile duct injuries (BDIs) are a significant source of morbidity among patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). GoNoGoNet is an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that has been developed and validated to identify safe ("Go") and dangerous ("No-Go") zones of dissection during LC, with the potential to prevent BDIs through real-time intraoperative decision-support. This study evaluates GoNoGoNet's ability to predict Go/No-Go zones during LCs with BDIs.

Eleven LC videos with BDI (BDI group) were annotated by GoNoGoNet. All tool-tissue interactions, including the one that caused the BDI, were characterized in relation to the algorithm's predicted location of Go/No-Go zones. These were compared to another 11 LC videos with cholecystitis (control group) deemed to represent "safe cholecystectomy" by experts. The probability threshold of GoNoGoNet annotations were then modulated to determine its relationship to Go/No-Go predictions. Data is shown as % difference [99% confidence interval].

Compared to control, the BDI group showed significantly greater proportion of sharp dissection (+ 23.5% [20.0-27.0]), blunt dissection (+ 32.1% [27.2-37.0]), and total interactions (+ 33.6% [31.0-36.2]) outside of the Go zone. Among injury-causing interactions, 4 (36%) were in the No-Go zone, 2 (18%) were in the Go zone, and 5 (45%) were outside both zones, after maximizing the probability threshold of the Go algorithm.

AI has potential to detect unsafe dissection and prevent BDIs through real-time intraoperative decision-support. More work is needed to determine how to optimize integration of this technology into the operating room workflow and adoption by end-users.