Archan Khandekar, MD

Most of what happens in the operating room is never captured as analyzable data, and my research addresses that gap. I work in surgical intelligence: converting operative video, device data, and documentation into structured, research-grade datasets through HL7 integration and computer vision. This work began with validating automated warm ischemia time measurement during partial nephrectomy and with expert-concordance studies that establish reference standards for AI model development. With Theator, I am evaluating AI-generated operative documentation integrated with Epic, which reduced surgeon documentation time by approximately 70% in an initial series of robotic cases. The same infrastructure lets video-derived exposures be studied at scale. One example is Retzius-sparing versus anterior robotic prostatectomy, defined directly from annotated video and linked to postoperative outcomes.

A second line of work evaluates augmented reality in diagnosis and outpatient care. Building on my review of AR in outpatient settings, I study augmented reality-guided MRI-ultrasound fusion prostate biopsy in collaboration with Medivis as a model for bringing AR into routine procedures.

In bladder cancer, my interests span diagnostic AI across the care pathway. These include AI-assisted urine cytology through industry collaborations, computer-assisted cystoscopy, computational pathology, and conversational pre-visit agents for hematuria triage built on FHIR-based EHR integration. I am also principal investigator for the Phase 1 UGN-501 trial at our institution.

I apply large language models to clinical data extraction and EHR-integrated decision support, including SMART-on-FHIR applications. I use national datasets such as ACS-NSQIP and TriNetX for outcomes research and machine-learning risk prediction, including major morbidity after radical cystectomy.

My near-term objective is independent federal funding through a K- or R-series award. That support would sustain a program that evaluates surgical technologies with the rigor expected of any new intervention.

Archan Khandekar, MD, MS, DNB, is an Assistant Professor of Urologic Oncology at the Desai Sethi Urology Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is a urologic oncologist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and cares for patients with prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer at UHealth Tower, SoLé Mia, and Plantation. His practice focuses on robotic surgery, image-guided prostate biopsy, and organ-sparing treatment.
Dr. Khandekar grew up in Ahmedabad, India, and graduated first in his class from Smt. NHL Municipal Medical College, receiving multiple gold medals and prizes. He earned his M.S. in General Surgery at Vadilal Sarabhai General Hospital in Ahmedabad, ranking fourth in Gujarat University, and then worked as a general surgeon. He completed his DNB in Urology at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, one of India's leading tertiary centers. There, he contributed to studies of intravesical therapy for bladder cancer, robotic radical cystectomy, and minimally invasive inguinal lymphadenectomy for penile cancer. He then practiced as an associate consultant in urology in Ahmedabad. In 2022, he came to the University of Miami for fellowship training in urologic oncology and joined the faculty in 2025.

His clinical practice includes robotic radical prostatectomy, robotic partial and radical nephrectomy, robotic radical cystectomy with urinary diversion, and transurethral resection of bladder tumors. He also performs MRI-ultrasound fusion and augmented reality-guided prostate biopsy and offers active surveillance and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) focal therapy. He works within Sylvester's multidisciplinary teams to match treatment to tumor biology and to each patient's priorities.

Dr. Khandekar's research centers on surgical intelligence: turning what happens in the operating room into structured, measurable data. He validated surgical intelligence software for automated warm ischemia time measurement during partial nephrectomy and studied expert concordance as groundwork for AI model development. He collaborates with industry partners on AI-generated operative documentation integrated with Epic, augmented reality-guided fusion biopsy, and AI-assisted urine cytology. As an investigator on the Miami Active Surveillance Trial, he has contributed to validating genomic classifiers and MRI strategies for men on active surveillance. He is principal investigator for the Phase 1 UGN-501 bladder cancer trial at the University of Miami.
He has authored more than 35 peer-reviewed publications, including work in The Journal of Urology, BJU International, European Urology Focus, and Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. He also contributed chapters to Hinman's Atlas of Urologic Surgery, 5th edition. He presents regularly at the American Urological Association annual meeting and has delivered Grand Rounds on augmented reality-guided prostate biopsy and on computer vision and HL7 integration in surgery.

Dr. Khandekar teaches residents and fellows across robotic, open, and endoscopic cases and mentors trainees and medical students in research methodology and applied AI. He is a member of the American Urological Association, the Society of Urologic Oncology, the Urological Society of India, and the Association of Surgeons of India. Outside the hospital, he is a distance runner and photographer, plays padel, follows Formula 1, and writes essays on surgery and medicine.