Digitally assisted vitreoretinal surgery: A unique surgical teaching tool for beginners

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Education
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Vitreoretinal surgery training traditionally relies on conventional analog microscopes (CAM).
• The standard binocular side-scope of CAM presents limitations in the learning experience for surgical trainees.
• Digital technologies offer potential advancements in surgical training and education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate digitally assisted vitreoretinal surgery (DAVS) as a learning and teaching tool.
• To compare DAVS with the standard binocular side-scope of CAM for surgical training.
• To assess trainee perceptions of comfort, image clarity, stereopsis, and overall understanding.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in South India.
• Postgraduate residents and clinical fellows observed retinal surgical procedures using both DAVS and CAM.
• A questionnaire assessed subjective scoring of comfort, image clarity, stereopsis, understanding, and overall impression.

Main Results:

• Thirty-six participants (20 residents, 16 fellows) completed the study.
• DAVS received significantly higher scores than CAM across all 15 questionnaire items.
• The mean overall experience score for DAVS was 4.80, compared to 3.14 for CAM (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• DAVS is a superior learning and teaching tool compared to CAM side-scopes from a learner's perspective.
• DAVS can improve beginners' understanding of surgical steps before hands-on training.
• Digital platforms enhance the educational efficacy in vitreoretinal surgery training.