A Cataract Surgery Training Program: 2-Year Outcome After Launching

Document Type

Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether a short-term training program can produce competent cataract surgeons. METHODS: This observational pilot study enrolled 12 trainees who could not perform phacoemulsification independently. The training consisted of 2 phases. During the first 3-month phase, trainees were taught phacoemulsification through wet laboratory exposure and deliberate practice in patients at the training center in the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in China. The second phase consisted of performing 50 cases at the trainees׳ home institution with supports from instructors of the first phase. Trainees׳ surgical results were followed-up. The surgical skill as measured by the Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric (OSCAR) and surgical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: During the first phase trainees performed 193.3 ± 95.4 wet laboratory cases and 557 eyes in patients. The complication rate was 0.54%. The OSCAR scores improved significantly (p < 0.01) in the first phase. At the second phase, all the trainees could carry out phacoemulsification at their home hospital and the complication rate was 1.87%. During the long-term follow-up, 4936 cases of phacoemulsification were performed and the complication rate was 0.87%. CONCLUSIONS: Trainees succeeded in performing phacoemulsification safely and skillfully through a limited short period of training by wet laboratory exposure, deliberate practice in patients, and frequent formative feedback provided by the OSCAR tool.

Medical Subject Headings

Cataract Extraction (education); China; Clinical Competence; Education, Medical, Graduate; Educational Measurement; Humans; Internship and Residency; Ophthalmology (education); Phacoemulsification; Pilot Projects

Publication Date

1-1-2016

Publication Title

Journal of surgical education

E-ISSN

1878-7452

Volume

73

Issue

5

First Page

761

Last Page

7

PubMed ID

27137664

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.jsurg.2016.03.012

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