A Survey Report on Cataract Surgical Experiences during Ophthalmology Residency in Korea

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate cataract surgical experiences during ophthalmology residency in Korea. METHODS: A survey regarding cataract surgical experiences during residency was sent to 4th year ophthalmologic residents (112) from April to September 2010. RESULTS: Of the 112 individuals to whom the surveys were sent, 35 (31.3%) responded. The majority of the respondents (65.7%) performed their first cataract operation as the primary surgeon in their 4th year of residency. The majority of the respondents (42.9%) also thought that continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) was the most difficult procedure followed by nucleus removal (31.4%). Fourteen respondents (40.0%) experienced loss of lens fragments into the vitreous cavity. Nine (25.7%) respondents had experienced performing ECCE (Extracapsular cataract extraction) during residency training. Also, 48.6% performed 1 to 5 cataract procedures during their entire residency training while 20.0% performed 6 to 10. CONCLUSIONS: The experiences in cataract surgery during residency were investigated for the first time through a questionnaire survey. The Korean ophthalmology residency program needs to provide more opportunities for residents to perform cataract surgery during their training period.