Age is highly associated with stereo blindness among surgeons: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Technology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Stereo blindness, or the lack of stereopsis, affects depth perception, potentially impacting surgical performance.
• 3D laparoscopy offers stereoscopic vision to enhance depth perception in minimally invasive surgery.
• Normal stereo vision is a prerequisite for benefiting from 3D laparoscopic technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of stereo blindness among surgeons in general surgery, gynecology, and urology.
• To identify factors associated with stereo blindness in this surgical population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study adhering to STROBE guidelines.
• Stereo testing using the Random Dot E test on 300 medical doctors.
• Demographic questionnaires and multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess associations.

Main Results:

• 9.7% of the 300 participating surgeons were stereo blind.
• Prevalence of stereo blindness was significantly associated with increasing age (OR 5.6) and lack of awareness of vision anomalies (OR 4).
• Participants included 47% women and 53% men, aged 25-71, with representation from general surgery (64%), gynecology (26%), and urology (10%).

Conclusions:

• Nearly one in ten surgeons in key specialties exhibit stereo blindness, with higher rates in older individuals.
• This finding has significant implications for the adoption and effectiveness of 3D laparoscopy.
• Surgeons who are stereo blind will not gain the depth perception benefits offered by 3D laparoscopic systems.