Artificial Intelligence in Surgical Care: A Point-Counterpoint Analysis

Authors

• Saman Qadri, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
• Divya Kewalramani, Division of Acute Care Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
• Michel B. Aboutanos, Division of Acute Care Surgical Services, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
• Mayur Narayan, Division of Acute Care Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
• Megan T. Quintana, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Document Type

Editorial

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Journal

Trauma surgery & acute care open

Volume

11

Issue

2

DOI

10.1136/tsaco-2025-002093

Keywords

Health Care Quality, Access, And Evaluation; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; education; general surgery

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) integration in surgical care represents a paradigm shift with significant potential benefits and risks. This point-counterpoint debate examined the proposition that AI improves surgical patient care. A structured debate format featuring Dr Divya Kewalramani (pro-AI) and Dr Michael Aboutanos (con-AI) explored the current state, opportunities, and challenges of AI implementation in surgical practice. The pro-AI argument emphasized addressing surgical care gaps through predictive analytics, supply chain optimization, and enhanced postoperative monitoring. The con-AI position highlighted concerns about data biases, validation deficits, hallucinations, and implementation risks. While AI demonstrates potential to improve surgical care, substantial challenges remain regarding validation, inclusivity, and oversight. Responsible adoption requires robust evaluation frameworks, diverse datasets, and continuous postimplementation monitoring.

APA Citation

Qadri, Saman; Kewalramani, Divya; Aboutanos, Michel B.; Narayan, Mayur; and Quintana, Megan T., "Artificial Intelligence in Surgical Care: A Point-Counterpoint Analysis" (2026). GW Authored Works. Paper 9100.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/9100

Department

Surgery