Time and cost of teaching cataract surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the differences in the time of completion of cataract surgery for residents and attending surgeons and to assign a dollar cost.


METHODS
University of Colorado teaching hospital, Aurora, Colorado, USA.


METHODS
Comparative case series.


METHODS
Cataract cases were divided into 3 levels of difficulty for comparison. Main outcome measures were total case time (incision to patch) and degree of difficulty.


RESULTS
Nine residents and 6 attending surgeons participated in the study. Case times were collected for 324 resident cases and 319 attending surgeon cases. The mean attending surgeon case time was 25.75 minutes ± 12.32 (SD) and the mean resident case time, 46.35 ± 16.75 minutes. There was no significant difference in the degree of difficulty between resident cases and attending surgeon cases. Approximately 600 total cases were performed by 4 residents during 3 years of residency training. Taking into account the mean time of case completion for attending surgeons versus residents, the total difference in time if attending surgeons had performed 600 cataracts would be 12,360 minutes. Using a dollar cost of approximately $11.24 per minute at the institution, the cost difference was calculated to be $138,926.40.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant time and dollar cost incurred in teaching cataract surgery.


BACKGROUND
No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
From the University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Electronic address: michael.taravella@ucdenver.edu.
Michael J
MJ
Taravella
From the University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Richard
R
Davidson
From the University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Michael
M
Erlanger
From the University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Gretchen
G
Guiton
From the University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Darren
D
Gregory
D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000191:economics*; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000191:economics; D061646:Operative Time; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000193:education*; D013663:Teaching / Q000191:economics*; D013997:Time Factors