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Figure 1. AI-enhanced perioperative pathway in MICS. AI contributes across the surgical timeline. AI contributes at multiple stages: during preoperative planning, AI supports patient selection and imaging-based risk stratification; in intraoperative guidance, CV and AR assist anatomical recognition and robotic navigation; in complication prediction, ML models integrate patient and procedural data to forecast adverse events; and in postoperative management, AI-driven monitoring tools help optimize recovery, personalize follow-up, and improve long-term outcomes. Together, these components illustrate how AI can provide continuous, data-driven support across the surgical timeline in MICS. AI: Artificial intelligence; MICS: minimally invasive cardiac surgery; CV: computer vision; AR: augmented reality; ML: machine learning.