Evolution and Applications of Artificial Intelligence to Cataract Surgery

Abstract

TopicDespite significant recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology within several ophthalmic subspecialties, AI seems to be underutilized in the diagnosis and management of cataracts. In this article, we review AI technology that may soon become central to the cataract surgical pathway, from diagnosis to completion of surgery.Clinical RelevanceThis review describes recent advances in AI in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phase of cataract surgery, demonstrating its impact on the pathway and the surgical team.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed was conducted to identify relevant publications on the topic of AI for cataract surgery. Articles of high quality and relevance to the topic were selected.ResultsBefore surgery, diagnosis and grading of cataracts through AI-based image analysis has been demonstrated in several research settings. Optimal intraocular lens (IOL) power to achieve the desired postoperative refraction can be calculated with a higher degree of accuracy using AI-based modeling compared with traditional IOL formulae. During surgery, innovative AI-based video analysis tools are in development, promoting a paradigm shift for documentation, storage, and cataloging libraries of surgical videos with applications for teaching and training, complication review, and surgical research. Situation-aware computer-assisted devices can be connected to surgical microscopes for automated video capture and cloud storage upload. Artificial intelligence-based software can provide workflow analysis, tool detection, and video segmentation for skill the and the may a in surgical with the of surgical in and the to the management of through the pathway, AI-based are in development, are to In the postoperative AI has been to the with and can the pathway in the of intelligence for cataract be relevant in of and a for cataract significant recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology within several ophthalmic subspecialties, AI seems to be underutilized in the diagnosis and management of cataracts. In this article, we review AI technology that may soon become central to the cataract surgical pathway, from diagnosis to completion of surgery. review describes recent advances in AI in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phase of cataract surgery, demonstrating its impact on the pathway and the surgical systematic search of PubMed was conducted to identify relevant publications on the topic of AI for cataract surgery. Articles of high quality and relevance to the topic were surgery, diagnosis and grading of cataracts through AI-based image analysis has been demonstrated in several research settings. Optimal intraocular lens (IOL) power to achieve the desired postoperative refraction can be calculated with a higher degree of accuracy using AI-based modeling compared with traditional IOL formulae. During surgery, innovative AI-based video analysis tools are in development, promoting a paradigm shift for documentation, storage, and cataloging libraries of surgical videos with applications for teaching and training, complication review, and surgical research. Situation-aware computer-assisted devices can be connected to surgical microscopes for automated video capture and cloud storage upload. Artificial intelligence-based software can provide workflow analysis, tool detection, and video segmentation for skill the and the may a in surgical with the of surgical in and the to the management of through the pathway, AI-based are in development, are to In the postoperative AI has been to the with and can the pathway in the of Artificial intelligence for cataract be relevant in of and a for cataract Artificial intelligence (AI) has of from and to the of search and and and and has in with image and of the central of the of AI been for its recent has a of in power with the of In AI has been in the of and and of applications in the of the of and that of technology in surgical has been in th