Comparative experience of phaco-I and kitaro eye models among ophthalmology trainees in Malaysia: A preliminary study

To compare the user experience of Phaco-I and Kitaro among Malaysian ophthalmology trainees during phacoemulsification simulation. Secondary objectives included the preliminary validation of a questionnaire designed to assess internal consistency in simulation-based surgical training.

Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 19 ophthalmology trainees participating in a phacoemulsification workshop. Each participant used both the Phaco-I and Kitaro, and then completed a 28-item validated questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 20 items rated using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree), two items assessing model preference, and six open-ended questions to obtain qualitative feedback. Data were analysed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated for reliability.

Kitaro scored significantly higher than Phaco-I across most domains, including surgical realism (median 4.00 vs 3.40, P = 0.011), skill development (median 4.25 vs 3.25, P = 0.002), confidence and skill transfer (median 4.00 vs 3.33, P = 0.0003), and overall experience (median 4.67 vs 3.00, P = 0.0003). Questionnaire reliability was excellent with Cronbach alpha coefficients exceeding 0.878. However, the interpretation of findings is limited by the small sample size.

In this preliminary study, the Kitaro was perceived as offering a more realistic simulation experience for phacoemulsification training compared to Phaco-I. These findings highlight the potential utility of Kitaro for advanced simulation training among Malaysian ophthalmology trainees. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.