For Dr. Irlna Tantchou, surgical excellence isn’t measured by how quickly a surgeon completes an operation. Instead, she believes it’s determined by the outcomes patients experience afterward.
Speaking Wednesday at the HealthStack Conference during AfroTech 2026, the colorectal surgeon discussed how AI, robotic technology and surgical analytics are reshaping surgical performance, training and patient care. Drawing on experience with more than 700 robotic procedures, Tantchou emphasized that technological advancement alone doesn’t guarantee better outcomes.
“I’m not a fast surgeon, I am an efficient surgeon,” she said.
Redefining Surgical Mastery
Tantchou challenged the assumption that surgical experience automatically translates into mastery.
Citing research on robotic surgery learning curves, she said surgeons may require approximately 15 to 40 procedures to establish baseline proficiency. On the contrary, more complex operations can require 30 to 128 cases to reach certain performance benchmarks.
But proficiency, she argued, is only the beginning. Mastery requires consistently delivering strong clinical outcomes, anticipating complications, teaching others and improving efficiency without compromising patient safety.
Her distinction raises questions for surgical training programs about whether traditional measures, including case volume and operative time, adequately reflect surgical competency.
Using Clinical Data to Improve Patient Outcomes
Tantchou emphasized that robotic systems generate detailed procedural data, allowing surgeons to evaluate their performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
She recommended tracking console time, robotic docking time, instrument exchanges, camera movements, energy utilization and case complexity alongside clinical outcomes. To illustrate her approach, Tantchou presented data from 138 colorectal procedures performed in 2024. She compared her results with national surgical benchmarks.
Her reported average hospital stay was 2.2 days, compared with national averages of 4.2 days for robotic surgery, 5.8 days for laparoscopic surgery and 9.3 days for open surgery.
She also reported a 2.2% readmission rate, compared with national averages of 8.7% for robotic procedures, 10.8% for laparoscopic procedures and 11.9% for open surgery. Her reported conversion rate was 0.7%, compared with 4.2% for robotic surgery and 15.6% for laparoscopic surgery nationally.
The figures were presented as performance benchmarks, not a controlled comparison. Differences in patient characteristics, procedure types and case complexity may influence the results.
During the audience Q&A, Tantchou explained that her evaluations continue beyond the operating room.
“I always track their pain level in the hospital,” she said, describing how she also monitors medication use, follow-up appointments and recovery.
Her approach underscores the importance of connecting surgical efficiency with patient-centered outcomes rather than relying exclusively on operative time.
How AI Could Transform Surgical Training
Tantchou discussed emerging applications of AI in surgical training, including automated performance assessments, personalized feedback and models intended to help predict complications.
She highlighted force-feedback technology, which measures the force applied through robotic instruments. Such measurements could help researchers investigate how tissue handling contributes to complications and improve surgical training.
Tantchou encouraged clinicians to review surgical recordings and compare performance trends over time, using data to identify areas for improvement. Beyond individual performance, she described how connected surgical systems are enabling real-time collaboration between physicians.
Tantchou recalled being at Target when a colleague contacted her for assistance during a surgical procedure. Through a live video connection, she was able to observe the operation and offer guidance in real time without having to travel to the hospital. The experience illustrated how connected surgical systems can expand access to expert guidance. They allow experienced surgeons to support colleagues remotely while strengthening collaboration and surgical training.
For surgical teams, these capabilities could expand mentorship opportunities and provide specialist expertise without requiring physicians to be physically present.
Preserving Organs and Patients’ Quality of Life
Tantchou then demonstrated how robotic technology can support organ-preserving procedures for selected patients with rectal lesions.
She discussed transanal minimally invasive surgery, or TAMIS. It’s a procedure that allows surgeons to remove certain rectal lesions through the anus without external abdominal incisions.
During the presentation, she showed footage of a robotic-assisted procedure involving the removal of a rectal polyp and closure of the surgical defect.
For appropriately selected patients, these approaches may help avoid more extensive operations, preserve bowel function and reduce recovery burdens.
Expanding Access to Specialized Surgery
When asked where she hopes robotic technology will advance next, Tantchou identified telesurgery and remote collaboration as opportunities to address geographic disparities in specialized care.
Practicing in Arkansas, Tantchou discussed patients traveling hours from rural communities to receive treatment.
“I have patients that live in really rural areas that don’t even know what a robot looks like,” she said.
Originally from Cameroon, Tantchou envisioned surgeons in underserved communities worldwide connecting with specialists remotely to receive guidance during complex procedures. However, she emphasized that advancing telesurgery requires more than technological capabilities.
During the conversation, she recommended developing a process for accumulating, sharing and standardizing surgical skills. This way, physicians can collaborate effectively while maintaining consistent standards of care.
That transition, she explained, would also require addressing patient safety, legal protections and how to ensure patients receiving remote surgical care achieve outcomes comparable to those treated at major medical centers.
The Human Purpose Behind Surgical Excellence
During the audience Q&A, Tantchou reflected on her commitment to increasing representation in surgery. She particularly focuses on Black women and mentoring future generations of physicians.
Asked how she manages the pressure of continually improving her performance, she explained that her motivation comes from creating opportunities for others while maintaining high standards of patient care.
“Maintaining my excellence is remembering my ‘why,’” she said.
For clinicians and health care leaders, her presentation offered a practical framework: collect meaningful surgical data, evaluate patient outcomes and use those findings to improve training and clinical practice.
As AI and robotic systems evolve, Tantchou emphasized that their value ultimately depends on how effectively physicians translate technological advances into better patient care.
“Technology doesn’t replace expertise; it accelerates it,” she said.
