A review of teaching methods and outcomes of resident phacoemulsification

Cataract surgery with phacoemulsification is a challenging procedure for surgeons in training to learn to perform safely, efficiently, and effectively. We review the auxiliary learning tools outside the operating room that residency programs have incorporated into their curriculum to improve surgical skills, including wet laboratory and surgical simulators. We then discuss different methods of teaching cataract surgery in the operating room. Our goal is to define a learning curve for cataract surgery. We demonstrate that complication rates decline significantly after a resident performs an average of 70 cases. We summarize the reported incidence and risk factors for complications in resident-performed cataract surgery to help identify cases that require a higher level of skill to improve visual outcomes. We suggest that future studies include details on preoperative comorbidities, risk stratification, resident skill level, and frequency of takeover by attending.