Development of a virtual reality training curriculum for phacoemulsification surgery.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Education
• Surgical Simulation

Background:

• Proficiency-based virtual reality (VR) training curricula can potentially decrease errors in surgical procedures.
• Developing a standardized VR training curriculum for phacoemulsification surgery (PS) is crucial for surgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To scientifically develop and validate a VR training curriculum for phacoemulsification surgery (PS).
• To establish construct validity of VR simulator metrics across different surgical experience levels.

Main Methods:

• Recruited novice, intermediate, and experienced surgeons (n=10 each).
• Utilized a high-fidelity VR simulator with abstract and procedural modules to assess performance.
• Defined proficiency based on experienced surgeons' performance metrics.

Main Results:

• Abstract modules showed a ceiling effect, with construct validity between novice and intermediate groups, but not intermediate and experienced.
• Procedural modules demonstrated construct validity across all experience levels (novice, intermediate, experienced).
• Performance decreased in novice and intermediate groups with increased task difficulty, while experienced surgeons showed improvement.

Conclusions:

• Established benchmark skill levels for experienced and intermediate surgeons.
• The study provides a foundation for a proficiency-based VR training curriculum for novice phacoemulsification surgery (PS) using scientific methodology.