Potential of artificial intelligence methods in diseases of the venous system of the lower extremities
https://doi.org/10.21518/akh2026-005
Abstract
The use of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods is rapidly changing the face of modern medicine, offering advanced tools for diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this review is to map key concepts and research directions in the application of AI methods in the diagnosis and treatment oflower extremity venous diseases. This review is presented in accordance with the PRISMA ScR guidelines. A search was conducted in Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for studies published through December 2025. Studies were included in the review if they applied AI methods in diagnostics and clinical practice. A total of 1,071 studies were analyzed. The use of AI methods inlower extremity venous pathology is rapidly evolving and demonstrates significant potential for increasing diagnostic precision, automating workflows, and improving clinical decision making. The achieved accuracy of AI algorithms exceeded 90%, significantly reducing interobserver variability and ensuring consistent interpretation, eliminating operator dependency. The implementation of AI accelerated diagnostic workflows, reducing image analysis time by more than 50%. However, most studies relied on in-house datasets withlimited model interpretability and alack of external validation. Clinical implementation and outcome evaluation remain understudied. AI methods represent a transformative innovation that, by increasing diagnostic accuracy, streamlining workflows, and enabling a personalized approach, has significant potential to improve treatment outcomes for lower extremity venous pathology. AI has a promising future in its widespread use for prognostication, developing personalized treatment strategies for patients based on individual profiles, and creatinglarge-scale multicenter datasets to improve the reliability and versatility of algorithms. Priority should be given to external validation, standardization, and the implementation of AI in real-world clinical practice.
About the Author
S. Е. KatorkinRussian Federation
Sergei E. Katorkin, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor, Head of the Department and Clinic of Hospital Surgery
89, Chapaevskaya St., Samara, 443089
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For citations:
Katorkin S.Е. Potential of artificial intelligence methods in diseases of the venous system of the lower extremities. Ambulatornaya khirurgiya = Ambulatory Surgery (Russia). 2026;23(1):15-29. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21518/akh2026-005
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