title: Virtual reality simulation in acquiring and differentiating basic ophthalmic microsurgical skills.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A virtual reality (VR) surgical simulator (EyeSi ophthalmosurgical simulator: VRMagic, Mannheim, Germany) was evaluated as a part-task training platform for differentiating and developing basic ophthalmic microsurgical skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical novice performance (residents, interns, and nonmicrosurgical ophthalmic staff) was compared with surgical expert performance (practicing ophthalmic microsurgeons) on a basic navigational microdexterity module provided with the EyeSi simulator.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expert surgeons showed a greater initial facility with all microsurgical tasks. With repeated practice, novice surgeons showed sequential improvement in all performance scores, approaching but not equaling expert performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VR simulator performance can be used as a gated, quantifiable performance goal to expert-level benchmarks. The EyeSi is a valid part-task training platform that may help develop novice surgeon dexterity to expert surgeon levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA. daniel.solverson@amedd.army.mil
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Solverson
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mazzoli
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Anuja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhandari
authors.forename: Craig D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Hartranft
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D008887:Military Medicine; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014584:User-Computer Interface