Trends in cataract surgery training curricula.
To evaluate trends in cataract surgery training curricula and factors affecting timing of resident participation as a primary surgeon.



Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.



Cross-sectional study of anonymous survey results.



A description of the study and link to an online survey was e-mailed to program directors of each ophthalmology residency training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).



Fifty-one (44%) of the 116 program directors completed the survey. First-year, second-year, and third-year residents performed a mean of 2, 25, and 155 phacoemulsification surgeries, respectively, as a primary surgeon. Only 1 program (2%) required residents to perform extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) before performing phacoemulsification. Clear corneal phacoemulsification was the first technique taught to trainees at 91% of programs. More than two thirds (71%) of program directors indicated that their program had a cataract surgery training curriculum designed to transition residents gradually to the operating room. These curricula included structured wet laboratory (92%) and lecture (89%) components. Inadequate resident knowledge and surgical skill base (57%) and anticipation of increased surgical complication risk (37%) were the most commonly reported factors impeding earlier exposure to phacoemulsification in residency.



Results show that residents today begin surgical training with phacoemulsification rather than ECCE, perform a higher number of phacoemulsification surgeries than is required by the ACGME, and begin performing phacoemulsification as early as their first or second year of residency. Despite these evolutions, 29% of respondent ACGME-accredited ophthalmology residency programs reported not having a formal cataract surgery training curriculum.
From the Department of Ophthalmology (Lotfipour, Rolius, Pantanelli, Scott) and Department of Public Health Sciences (Lehman, Scott), Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Mona
M
Lotfipour
From the Department of Ophthalmology (Lotfipour, Rolius, Pantanelli, Scott) and Department of Public Health Sciences (Lehman, Scott), Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Ramunas
R
Rolius
From the Department of Ophthalmology (Lotfipour, Rolius, Pantanelli, Scott) and Department of Public Health Sciences (Lehman, Scott), Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Erik B
EB
Lehman
From the Department of Ophthalmology (Lotfipour, Rolius, Pantanelli, Scott) and Department of Public Health Sciences (Lehman, Scott), Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. Electronic address: spantanelli@hmc.psu.edu.
Seth M
SM
Pantanelli
From the Department of Ophthalmology (Lotfipour, Rolius, Pantanelli, Scott) and Department of Public Health Sciences (Lehman, Scott), Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Ingrid U
IU
Scott
D000068:Accreditation; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000193:education*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum / Q000639:trends*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000639:trends*; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000193:education; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires