Artificial intelligence applications in ophthalmic surgery

Technologies in healthcare incorporating artificial intelligence tools are experiencing rapid growth in static-image-based applications such as diagnostic imaging. Given the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)-technologies created for video-based imaging, ophthalmic microsurgery is likely to experience significant benefits from the application of emerging technologies to multiple facets of the care of the surgical patient.

Proof-of-concept research and early phase clinical trials are in progress for AI-based surgical technologies that aim to provide preoperative planning and decision support, intraoperative image enhancement, surgical guidance, surgical decision-making support, tactical assistive technologies, enhanced surgical training and assessment of trainee progress, and semi-autonomous tool control or autonomous elements of surgical procedures.

The proliferation of AI-based technologies in static imaging in clinical ophthalmology, continued refinement of AI tools designed for video-based applications, and development of AI-based digital tools in allied surgical fields suggest that ophthalmic surgery is poised for the integration of AI into our microsurgical paradigm.