Surgical Video Data - "In," "Out," or "Shake It All About" the Medical Record

AI-driven technology has the potential to provide physicians, hospitals, patients, and technology companies with crucial insights by analyzing surgical video data. These insights might improve surgical performance, assist medical decision-making, increase hospital quality, or enable the development of innovative medical technologies. But should surgical video data be included in the patient’s medical record? The answer to this fundamental question is currently unclear as the issue has not received enough attention, despite its increasing importance in the big data era. It requires careful consideration in light of the diverse uses for surgical video data and the equally diverse interests of the stakeholders involved. This article analyzes the pros and cons of including surgical video data as part of the medical record and argues that a deliberate and thoughtful approach to this question is critical for the continued development of advanced AI-driven intraoperative video assistance and postoperative analysis in 21st-century surgery.