How is surgery distributed during the 3 years at your program

[bulldoc]

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I'm curious what kind of experience people are having at their respective programs. Some programs teach you cataract surgery literally in your 3rd year, some start in the 1st year. I can see the reasoning for both. Advantages/disadvantages to each?

Perhaps the average program starts during the 2nd year, and builds into the 3rd year?

I'm at a program that starts teaching cataract surgery in the 1st year and enjoy it this way.

 

[JMK2005]

We had about 30-40 primary cases second year. I don't think it really matter if you start early or later. Your surgical maturation will come during your third year when you're able to do cases back to back and build efficiency.

 

[MstaKing10]

First year we got our feet wet doing I/A, putting in lenses, suturing wounds etc. Second year finished with 20 primary cases or so. Agree with above, you really don't start getting good until you build a rhythm and efficiency during your 3rd year, then up the ante with adding challenging cases. Always good to start sooner though.

 

[monkey7247]

First year we did plastics, enucs, and pterygia. Second year included the previous plus muscle surgeries and ~1 phaco per week. Third year was cataracts/cornea, glaucoma, and retina.

 

[MNGradToBe12]

As an interesting note, I happen to work for an ophthalmologist, who, when he was performing surgery was only able to do 1 case a week due to the fact that it took him about 90 minutes. No, I am absolutely not making that up either.

I was always curious how a routine cataract surgery could possibly take that long.

 

[MR1]

First year - mainly watching cataracts, but will get do few side ports, some I&A, injecting the IOL.

Second year - about 50-60 primary cataracts, lots of strab, little plastics

Third year - ~100 cataracts (more difficult, monocular, topical). more strab, plastics, cornea, glaucoma all here.

I like the amount we got in second year for cataracts. My main wish was that we had more plastics and cornea earlier than 3rd year.

To the last comment routing cataracts only take 90 minutes in your first 5 you do (if even that long). On that note, how fast were your first ~10 cataracts and how long were you taking at the end (on routine ones). For me, I started about 60 minutes per case and now am at 15 min in my 3rd year.

 

[Visionary]

On that note, how fast were your first ~10 cataracts and how long were you taking at the end (on routine ones). For me, I started about 60 minutes per case and now am at 15 min in my 3rd year.

That's my recollection, with the 60 minute cases involving a lot of starting, stopping, explanation from the attending, and restarting. 😀

 

[MstaKing10]

First few cases were so painful, can't imagine being the attending on the teaching scope watching me operate my first few cases. The learning curve is steep but you get quick fast.

We still have one attending who takes a good 45 minutes per cataract. Most of that is setting up for the case (scope, lid spec etc). He does scleral tunnel so takes down conj etc. So methodical about everything it takes forever. Has great results though.

 

[Mirror Form]

We still have one attending who takes a good 45 minutes per cataract. Most of that is setting up for the case (scope, lid spec etc). He does scleral tunnel so takes down conj etc. So methodical about everything it takes forever. Has great results though.

Don't most people measure their surgical time from the first incision to close? I think i spend almost as long setting up the scope and draping as I do operating.