Residency training in refractive surgery.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Training
• Refractive Surgery

Background:

• Academic medical centers play a crucial role in training future surgeons.
• Evaluating resident surgical caseload and outcomes is essential for quality assurance.
• Refractive surgery training requires specific metrics to assess competency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the caseload of residents performing refractive surgery.
• To compare surgical outcomes between residents and staff surgeons.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of resident-performed refractive surgery.

Main Methods:

• A comparative case study was conducted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
• Keratorefractive procedures performed by residents between 2002 and 2010 were reviewed.
• Outcomes (visual acuity, refractive error, complications) of resident vs. staff surgeries (2008-2010) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Residents performed 1566 procedures, with caseloads increasing yearly.
• Postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UDVA) of 20/20 or better was achieved in 96.1% of resident eyes vs. 94.6% of staff eyes (P=.312).
• Refractive outcomes (spherical equivalent, CDVA) and complication rates were comparable between resident and staff surgeons.

Conclusions:

• Resident experience in refractive surgery grew substantially from 2002 to 2010.
• Resident-performed refractive surgery demonstrated comparable safety and efficacy to that of fellowship-trained surgeons.
• The findings support the effectiveness of resident training in refractive surgery within an academic setting.