Bridging the Data Gap in Surgical Data Science Research

In the fast-evolving landscape of surgical research, the colossal data gap in surgical data science is a pressing issue that remains largely unaddressed. Each year, thousands of terabytes of surgical video footage are generated in operating rooms worldwide, yet most of it goes unused, locked away on hard drives and inaccessible to researchers. This lack of accessible data has stifled the potential for breakthroughs in both clinical research and surgical education.

The underutilized wealth of information represents a critical gap in both surgical research and education – a gap that Surgical Data Science Collective (SDSC) is determined to bridge. Currently, access to surgical video data is confined to only a handful of open-source datasets, primarily for laparoscopic, robotic, endoscopic, and cataract procedures. This limited access hinders collaboration and slows progress.

So why is filling this data gap so important? One of the key benefits of bridging the gap is the ability to understand how different surgeons approach the same procedures. By identifying patterns that lead to better outcomes, we can standardize the best practices globally. Furthermore, with a comprehensive surgical video library, AI models can be trained and tested to ensure their robustness, improving their accuracy across diverse patient populations. Surgeons can also benefit directly by benchmarking their performance against a global database, receiving personalized feedback that compounds continuous improvement.

This data additionally helps to track the evolution of surgical practices over time, providing insights that can inform educational programs and clinical guidelines.

‍

Ultimately, by unlocking and analyzing this vast amount of surgical video footage, SDSC can foster global collaboration, accelerate research, and improve global healthcare equity.

‍

At SDSC, we’re tackling the root of this problem: not just the paucity of data but the shortage of expertise and infrastructure to analyze it at scale. Many researchers lack the machine learning and data science skills needed to process the enormous volumes of surgical data being produced. To address this, we’ve developed the Surgical Video Platform (SVP) – a secure, HIPAA and SOC2-compliant platform that provides access to cutting-edge tools and a global library of surgical videos.

Through the continuous refinement of AI-driven metrics for the analysis of surgical tool kinematics, procedure steps, and technique optimization, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in surgical data science. Already, we’ve achieved significant milestones, with over 1,000 hours of surgical videos uploaded, 200+ surgeons using the platform, and seven active research partnerships.

‍

SDSC’s mission is simple: to improve data access and enable clinical research that can’t be done anywhere else.

‍

All data uploaded to SVP is 100% private by default, and we empower you to share your case data with other clinicians and researchers, or keep everything private. Our platform encourages researchers and surgeons to ask new questions, test innovative hypotheses, and advance the field of surgery like never before.

Interested in harnessing the power of SDSC for your research or surgical practice? We’re here to collaborate, talk through research questions, and work alongside machine learning and data science experts to bring your ideas to life. Join us in bridging the data gap and shaping the future of surgical science!