Improving Resident Performance in Oculoplastic Surgery: A New Curriculum Using Surgical Wet Laboratory Videos.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Oculoplastics is a surgical subspecialty with limited operating room time.
• Surgical skill acquisition in residency is crucial for patient outcomes.
• Developing effective training methods is essential for oculoplastic surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a novel oculoplastics curriculum integrating skill acquisition learning theory.
• To develop and assess the efficacy of instructional videos for oculoplastic surgical wet laboratories.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 16 ophthalmology residents.
• Residents received either video and text or text-only instructions for blepharoplasty and eyelid laceration repair.
• Operating time and aesthetic outcomes were measured and compared between groups.

Main Results:

• The video group demonstrated superior aesthetic results for eyelid laceration repair (p=0.038).
• No significant difference in aesthetic outcomes was observed for blepharoplasty (p=0.492).
• 100% of residents reported that the instructional videos enhanced their learning experience.

Conclusions:

• Surgical videos can be effective tools for improving motor skill acquisition in oculoplastic surgery wet laboratories.
• This curriculum development and evaluation addresses the need for optimized surgical training methods.
• Further research may explore the broader application of video-based learning in surgical education.