RESUMEN
Purpose: To assess the quantum of cataract surgical training opportunities for trainees enrolled in ophthalmology residency programs in India. Methods: An anonymous online survey was sent across to resident ophthalmologists across India through various social media platforms. The results were tabulated and analyzed. Results: A total of 740 resident ophthalmologists participated in the survey. In all, 40.1% (297/740) were independently performing cataract surgeries. Of those who were not performing independent cataract surgeries, 62.5% (277/443) were in the third year of residency. A significantly higher proportion of trainees who were not operating independent cataract surgeries were enrolled in MD/MS programs as compared with DNB courses (65.6% vs. 43.7%; P < 0.0001). Of those who were operating independent cases; 97.1% had exposure to manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS), whereas only 14.1% performed phacoemulsification. It was noted that 31.3% of residents reported that on an average a trainee in their training program performed less than 100 independent cataract surgeries throughout the residency. Apart from cataract surgery, the most performed surgeries by residents were pterygium excision (85.3%), followed by enucleation/ evisceration (68.1%). When it came to training aids, 47.2% (349/740) of the respondents reported no access to wet lab, animal/cadaver eyes, or surgical simulators for training. Conclusion: The amount of surgical exposure in terms of cataract surgery across residency programs in India is low with most of the ophthalmology residents who participated in this survey not operating cataracts independently; even in their final year of residency. Exposure to phacoemulsification in residency programs is very limited across the country. Although some programs do provide well?rounded surgical exposure to trainees, such centers are scarce; the stark variations in infrastructure, training opportunities, and surgical numbers warrant an overhaul in the structure and curriculum of residency programs in India
RESUMEN
In view of the problems and shortcomings of the domestic ophthalmic microsurgery training system, drawing lessons from the training programs of famous ophthalmic centers abroad, our hospital has explored a set of hierarchical comprehensive training system for ophthalmic microsurgery. Through the four levels-eight scales microsurgery training, the hierarchical comprehensive training system organically integrates the multimedia theoretical teaching, the microscopic practice of Wet-Lab laboratory, microscopic training of surgical simulator and the clinical practice to achieve a better teaching effect in clinical practice, being widely praised by teachers and students.