PURPOSE: This brief report aims to summarize and discuss the methodologies of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) and their potential applications in surgery. METHODS: We briefly introduce explainability methods, including global and individual explanatory features, methods for imaging data and time series, as well as similarity classification, and unraveled rules and laws. RESULTS: Given the increasing interest in artificial intelligence within the surgical field, we emphasize the critical importance of transparency and interpretability in the outputs of applied models. CONCLUSION: Transparency and interpretability are essential for the effective integration of AI models into clinical practice.