What if someday your surgeon could glance at a monitor during surgery and see the perfect angle to hold the scalpel? Or get real-time computer analysis about some unusual-looking tissue? 

“Someday” is closer than you think. 

“That type of scenario is absolutely possible and it’s within our reach ,” said Danail Stoyanov, vice president of research and development and artificial intelligence within the Surgical operating unit at Medtronic.  

In fact, surgeons all over the world are already using technology systems to record surgeries. Then, using artificial intelligence (AI) software, they review and analyze the procedure afterward to see what they did perfectly and what could have gone better. The Medtronic technology is called Touch Surgery™ ecosystem. 

Surgeon Miguel Caceres recently performed two of the most complicated operations of his 20-year career—cases he might not have even attempted in the past. 

“The knowledge we’ve gained from reviewing surgical video with Touch Surgery absolutely contributed to those cases, and the positive impact Touch Surgery will have moving forward is going to be remarkable,” said Dr. Caceres, a gynecology oncologist and surgeon in Panama City, Panama. 

Here’s how it works. 

Small cameras allow the surgeons to see inside the patient during a procedure. The Touch Surgery™ ecosystem records the video feed, removes any identifying information about the patient, then uses a series of 17 complex math equations known as algorithms to analyze details from that video.  

Similar in some ways to facial recognition technology, the algorithms can compare information from that single surgery with many thousands of similarly recorded procedures. The algorithms quickly crunch the data and produce post-operative analyses that can help surgeons review anomalies and problems and benchmark performance during the recorded procedure.  

The amount of raw information is far more than human beings could ever digest on their own. But the Touch Surgery ecosystem condenses that mountain of data into actionable information. 

“Touch Surgery™ takes all that video data and turns it into a video display for the surgeon to see post-operatively,” Stoyanov said. “The system can highlight various anatomy in different colors, record what instruments were used at what time, and many other things.  It’s allowing us to use AI to understand surgery in a way that previously wasn’t possible,” he said. 

“It changes the way you operate, in a good way,” said Dr. Michael Hutton, MB BS, FRCS, an upper GI specialist and Head of Governance for Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in Cornwall, England. “People can easily miss things and it can be very revealing to see it on the actual video. I know surgeons who have changed their in-surgery techniques thanks to this.” 

Dr. Hutton was one of the first surgeons in the world to adopt the Touch Surgery ecosystem™. He says surgeons-in-training also benefit greatly from the ability to watch video of previous procedures and review the AI-generated analysis before performing operations.  

“It takes a lot of the stress out of surgery for trainees, because they’ve seen previous procedures and the analysis on video, and self-corrected before performing the procedure themselves. It’s a very powerful tool,” he said. 

Potential for significant patient benefits  

Dr. Caceres agrees Touch Surgery™ technology has the potential to fundamentally change the surgical world. He believes that eventually, such technology could lead to performance improvements and operational efficiencies that may positively impact procedure times in the OR. “Shorter procedure times are so critical for patient recovery,” said Dr. Caceres. “Patients are under anesthesia for a shorter period. They lose less blood. And we touch less tissue during the operation. That means a faster, less painful recovery for patients. And because we’re using our time more efficiently in the operating room, we can treat and help more people.” 

So if the Touch Surgery™ ecosystem can help surgeons before and after surgery, what about during a procedure? Experts like Stoyanov are developing the technology that will provide surgeons with live, real-time decision support during surgical procedures. 

“We think this type of technology will help reduce risks and improve outcomes in surgery,” Stoyanov said. “Ultimately, we’re talking about improved care for patients and so it’s exciting to think about the possibilities.” 

“The potential is there to help us treat more patients and have more success,” added Dr. Caceres. “It’s a wonderful and exciting thing to think about.” 

This is one in a series of stories about how Medtronic is using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve healthcare. Others include:  

Grammy Award winning artist knows how math can help detect cancer.

Can math help detect heart disease before you even know you’re sick?

 

© 2025 Medtronic. Medtronic, Medtronic logo, and Engineering the extraordinary are trademarks of Medtronic. All other brands are trademarks of a Medtronic company. 08/2025 – US-RP-2500107 

L00109112025