Rabbit models for continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis instruction.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a rabbit model for continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) instruction.


METHODS
University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.


METHODS
Experimental study.


METHODS
Isolated rabbit lenses were immersed in 2% to 8% paraformaldehyde (PFA) fixative from 15 minutes to 6 hours. Rabbit eyes were treated by substituting aqueous with 2% to 4% PFA for 30 minutes to 6 hours, followed by washes with a balanced salt solution. Treated lenses and eyes were held in purpose-designed holders using vacuum. A panel of 6 cataract surgeons with 5 to 15 years of experience performed CCC on treated lenses and eyes and responded to a questionnaire regarding the utility of these models for resident teaching using a 5-item Likert scale.


RESULTS
The expert panel found that rabbit lenses treated with increasing amounts of fixative simulated CCC on human lens capsules from the third to the seventh decade of life. The panel also found fixative-treated rabbit eyes to simulate some of the experience of CCC within the human anterior chamber but noted a shallower anterior chamber depth, variation in pupil size, and corneal clouding under some treatment conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
Experienced cataract surgeons who performed CCC on these rabbit models strongly agreed that isolated rabbit lenses treated with fixative provide a realistic simulation of CCC in human patients and that both models were useful tools for capsulorhexis instruction. Results indicate that rabbit lenses treated with 8% PFA for 15 minutes is a model with good fidelity for CCC training.


BACKGROUND
No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
Jason
J
Ruggiero
Christopher
C
Keller
Travis
T
Porco
Ayman
A
Naseri
David W
DW
Sretavan
D000818:Animals; D019923:Capsulorhexis / Q000193:education*; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D023421:Models, Animal; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000193:education*; D011817:Rabbits