Under the direction of Founder and CEO Bora Chang, KēlaHealth is on a mission to empower data-driven, personalized, and safer surgical practice. Harnessing the power of data and AI, the company provides surgeons with real-time insights at critical points in surgery to create a smarter, more efficient approach to surgery and improve patient care and outcomes.
KēlaHealth was born from a desire to transform how medical data is utilized to improve patient care. During her medical training at Duke University, Bora Chang became immersed in tech innovation and big data. Chang collaborated with a research group that applied ML models to surgical datasets to generate predictive and actionable models that would serve as personalized blueprints for patient care. She shared, “Rather than only conducting Mortality and Morbidity discussions after something went wrong, we aimed to be proactive and preventative, using real-time information to benefit patients immediately.”
This vision led to the development of KēlaHealth’s software platform, designed to provide clinicians with actionable insights at the point of care. Chang explained, “Our goal was to create a surgical intelligence platform that predicts complications, tailors interventions, and tracks outcomes to continuously refine and enhance patient safety.” Chang founded the company alongside Dr. Erich Huang and Dr. Zhifei Sun. Chang remarked, “Driven by our experiences as clinicians and a deep understanding of the complexities and demands of surgical services, we recognized the need for an objective, risk-based tool to empower surgeons to make sharper, data-driven decisions and elevate patient care.”
KēlaHealth is addressing a critical gap in surgical care: the inherent variability in how surgeons assess and manage patient risks. Chang elaborated, “Surgeons often rely on their own judgment and experience. However, this can lead to differences in how surgeons evaluate risks, which can affect surgery outcomes. One surgeon might underestimate a patient’s risk of complications, while another might be overly cautious, leading to unnecessary treatments.”
These discrepancies can lead to various issues, including missed high-risk patients, inconsistent care, and overuse of resources. "For example, spending too much time, staff, or equipment on low-risk patients can result in fewer resources for high-risk patients who need them more urgently," Chang explained. Inefficient scheduling is another issue that can result in delays, overworked teams, or unused rooms, lowering the overall efficiency of the OR. Chang emphasized, “This is important because it impacts both the quality of care and patient satisfaction and implicates higher costs.
KēlaHealth aims to transform the entire surgical journey through its advanced AI-powered platform that delivers real-time, data-driven insights—from preoperative planning to post-discharge care. This end-to-end solution offers personalized risk assessment and clinical recommendations at critical moments, helping surgeons make informed decisions throughout the entire surgical process.
Chang notes, “All clinicians today are inundated with information. It is critical to know which insights matter most at the right moment. We are addressing this by embedding our API solution into our partners’ workflow solutions so that users can access these valuable insights seamlessly—without switching interfaces and logging onto yet another application.”
What truly sets KēlaHealth apart is its ability to deliver robust predictions. Chang shared, “To date, we have handled over 6.5 million patient records, delivering strong and proven outcome and risk predictions validated by peer-reviewed studies. Our platform integrates both
clinical and proprietary Medtech data, enabling models that enhance predictive analytics within the clinical context.”
KēlaHealth’s journey from inception to becoming a commercial-stage company has been marked by several significant milestones. One of the company’s pivotal achievements was validating the effectiveness of its surgical intelligence platform through clinical trials. Chang shared their promising results: “One surgical intelligence platform reduced acute kidney injuries by 21% and readmissions by 24% after colorectal surgery, saving $1M in costs. We have shared these results at conferences and peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating Kela’s effectiveness and our smooth integration into clinical practice.”
The company has also secured a multi-year contract with a large Medtech manufacturer to utilize its API across the manufacturer’s new product launch. Chang explained, “This allows their surgeons to compare their surgical performance, patient demographics, and outcomes against peer benchmarks. By offering these data-driven insights, KēlaHealth empowers surgeons to refine their techniques, enhance the quality and efficiency of surgical procedures, and gain valuable cost-effectiveness insights. This approach not only improves patient care but also helps optimize resource use within the health system.”
While OR technology has continued to progress for years, robotic surgery introduced new opportunities for Medtech companies to engage with the mission to improve surgical outcomes. The digital surgery market refers to advanced surgical products intended to enhance surgery before, during, and after the procedure. In addition to robotics, digital surgery encompasses artificial intelligence solutions, advanced navigation solutions, data analytics, and new methods to visualize the operating field (i.e., augmented and virtual reality).
According to LSI’s Global Surgical Procedure Volumes database, the total volume of surgical procedures performed in 2023 was approximately 407.7 million. LSI projects that the total volume of surgical procedures will increase at a CAGR of 3.4% from 2023 to 2028, reaching an estimated 482.3 million surgeries performed worldwide.
Based on thoroughly discussed factors such as demographics and disease epidemiology, total demand for surgical procedures will continue to increase in a way that poses concerns about human capital’s availability to meet the demand. Fortunately, this demand creates opportunities for solutions, like those within the digital surgery market, to support healthcare providers in managing the ever-increasing demand for surgery.
Chang has been selected to present at our first-ever LSI Asia ‘25 event next June 10-13 in front of hundreds of global medical technology companies. Join us in welcoming Chang to the event in Singapore, where she will share the latest updates on KēlaHealth’s technology and development.
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