Can ChatGPT transform cardiac surgery and heart transplantation?

Area of Science:

• Medical Technology
• Artificial Intelligence in Surgery

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) presents significant opportunities and challenges in modern healthcare.
• Cardiac surgery, a complex field, is increasingly exploring AI applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inform surgeons about the benefits and risks of AI, specifically generative pre-trained transformers (GPT/ChatGPT).
• To guide the integration of AI tools into clinical practice, training, and research in cardiac surgery.

Main Methods:

• Review of current AI applications and their implications in surgical contexts.
• Analysis of potential benefits (clinical care, decision-making, education) and risks (validation, ethics, medicolegal issues).

Main Results:

• AI, including ChatGPT, can enhance surgical skills and decision-making.
• Key risks include validation challenges, ethical dilemmas, and medicolegal concerns.

Conclusions:

• AI should be viewed as a supportive tool for surgeons, augmenting their expertise.
• Human oversight remains critical for patient safety and complex decision-making in AI-assisted surgery.