Evaluation of Two-Dimensional (2D) versus Three-Dimensional (3D) Video Tutorials in Cataract Surgery for New Trainees

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Ophthalmic surgery demands proficiency in three-dimensional (3D) spatial understanding.
• The adoption of 3D video training in healthcare is increasing, yet its specific application in ophthalmology remains under-researched.
• Existing studies primarily focus on 3D surgical tutorials in general surgery, leaving a gap in ophthalmology-specific evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of 3D versus 2D video tutorials on the performance of surgically naive ophthalmology trainees.
• To compare the efficacy of 3D instructional videos against traditional 2D videos in teaching phacoemulsification.
• To assess differences in surgical skill acquisition, specifically focusing on the biplanar incision and capsulorhexis steps.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized study involving third and fourth-year medical students with stratified randomization based on prior surgical experience.
• Participants underwent baseline assessments of microscopic spatial awareness and surgical skill.
• Trainees were randomized to watch either a 2D or 3D phacoemulsification tutorial, followed by performance of simulated cataract surgery steps on model eyes, with speed and quality evaluated.

Main Results:

• Thirty-one students completed the study, with no significant baseline differences in preintervention tasks between groups.
• The 3D video group demonstrated significantly faster performance in the biplanar incision step (11.1s vs. 20.7s, p=0.001).
• No statistically significant differences were observed between the 2D and 3D groups in capsulorhexis timing (p=0.12) or quality (p=0.60).

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional (3D) video tutorials show potential for enhancing the speed of specific surgical steps, such as the biplanar incision, in cataract surgery training for novice ophthalmologists.
• The study suggests that 3D visualization may offer advantages in learning complex spatial manipulations required in ophthalmic procedures.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to fully elucidate the benefits and optimal application of 3D surgical training in ophthalmology.