Digital Surgery

Book excerpt: ​This book provides a trove of insightful perspectives on the current state and the realization of digital surgery. Digital surgery entails the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning toward automation in robotic-assisted surgery. More generally, the objective is to digitally define the patient, the surgical field, and the surgical problem or task at hand; to operate based on information, rather than based on anatomic planes alone. But digital surgery has shapeshifted into other, equally intriguing faces – many of which are exemplified by topics throughout this book. Digital surgery is fundamental to 3D-printed organs, mind-controlled limbs, image-guided navigation, and tele-mentoring. It is the key that unlocks the metaphorical doorway to surgical access, thereby creating a global framework for surgical training, education, planning, and much more. This text provides methods of measurement and perception outside of the human umwelt – including the ability to visualize fields beyond the visible light spectrum, via near infrared fluorescent organic dyes which are rapidly being bioengineered to target specific tumors, as well as native anatomic structures of interest. Written by experts in the field, Digital Surgery is designed to help surgeons operate with an enriched understanding of an individual’s specific attributes: including the human phenome, physiome, microbiome, genome, and epigenome. It also aids surgeons in harnessing the power and fluidity of the cloud, which is emerging as a significant resource for surgeons both regionally and globally.