Democratising the operating room: How AI is closing the surgical skills gap
21 july 2025
Publication: The Economic Times Edge Topic & Link: Democratising the operating room: How AI is closing the surgical skills gap Date: 17th July 2025
Robotic surgery represents one of the most important shifts in the quest for surgical excellence performed globally. GlobalNewswire reports that the growth of this sector is projected to reach around USD 46 billion by 2034, underscoring its adoption as more than a passing trend. This projection indicates the extraordinary ability of the technology to augment precision, reduce invasiveness, and improve the overall paradigm of patient recovery. However, it’s crucial to remember that a simple yet powerful principle anchors pioneering surgical technology: the future of surgery will be collaborative. Today’s surgical ‘robots’ are sophisticated master-slave systems, and their integration will always necessitate the guidance of a human surgeon who, beyond technical know-how, offers trust, empathy, and hope, which are core elements of the human condition.
The unwavering human core of surgical care Long before a patient arrives in the operating room, the healing process has started, best facilitated by a person-to-person connection. The surgeon shown in this scenario applies the most important, all non-technical, skills upon entering the quiet of the consultation room. The surgeon provides more than the patient’s pathology implantation; they listen to the patient’s problems, they understand the significance of those problems in the context of the patient’s life, and they begin to create a trust-based, human connection.
This personal connection—the assured clarification of a complicated procedure, the patient’s response to enquiries, and the steady communication that conveys collaboration—is something that no machine can imitate. This bond instills the emotional assurance and hope a patient carries not only into the procedure but also through the often challenging postoperative recovery period. It is the surgeon who celebrates a successful outcome with the patient and their family and who provides compassionate guidance if the path to recovery is difficult.
The Master-Slave Paradigm in Robotic Surgery The word “robot” typically evokes images of self-operating machines that make their own choices. However, in the surgical environment, the situation is much more refined and regulated: these technologies serve as extensions of the surgeon’s hands and vision. Positioned at a comfortable console, often just a few feet away from the patient, the surgeon deftly controls instruments with a precision that exceeds the innate abilities of the human hand.
The robot translates these accurate inputs into scaled, tremor-free actions. It does not think or make decisions—it perfectly obeys. This master-slave relationship is critical for patient safety, ensuring that human judgment, refined through years of experience and the ability to adapt to unexpected complexities, remains the final authority in the operating room.
Empowering surgeons through Intelligent Automation Although the surgeon’s judgement is irreplaceable, intelligent automation is sharpening their mental and manual skills. AI systems are now able to serve as trusted partners and handle critical, albeit monotonous, duties such as suturing with utmost precision. Such automation helps to alleviate the effects of human tiredness during protracted operations and error mitigation, which, on the whole, leads to fewer complications and faster recovery times for the patients.
This empowerment extends beyond physical actions. The integration of advanced imaging, augmented reality overlays, and real-time analytics enables surgeons to see more, predict better, and make more informed choices. For example, in intricate cancer surgeries, AI can evaluate pre-operative scans and emphasize vital blood vessels or nerve bundles on the surgeon’s console display, serving as a responsive, smart roadmap. This enhances the surgeon’s situational awareness, lessens cognitive burden, and enables them to concentrate entirely on the strategic elements of the operation, like guaranteeing total tumour excision while safeguarding healthy tissue.
A new era of Surgical Training and Accessibility One of the most profound impacts of this technology is that it democratises surgical proficiency. The traditional learning curve for complex minimally invasive surgery demanded extensive mastery of thousands of surgical hours, often irregular and rarely efficient. The paradigm is shifting due to the emergence of smart robotics and AI simulation platforms. With these advancements, trainees can practise complex procedures in safe simulation environments, receiving immediate and objective feedback along with performance evaluations. This enables a skilled surgeon to control robotic systems with accuracy and dependability, achieving what used to require decades of experience. This rapid skill acquisition is crucial for narrowing the gap between major metropolitan hospitals and regional centres and thereby increasing access to world-class surgical techniques.
Robotics and AI, as thoughtful assistants, will continue to evolve and help humans in performing tasks beyond pinpoint accuracy. This cooperation is not meant to eliminate the surgeon; it intends to set a new cooperative standard of care, i.e., shielding patients from harm and surgical mastery for all, everywhere.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author/authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET Edge Insights, its management, or its members
