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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Academic Ophthalmology 2020; 12(02): e239-e243
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718570
Research Article

Predictors of Manual Dexterity in Simulation-Based Cataract Surgery

Laura Palazzolo 
1   Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
,
Anna Kozlova
1   Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
,
John J. Laudi
1   Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
,
Allison E. Rizzuti
1   Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
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Abstract

Introduction The aim of this study is to determine if prior experience with fine motor hobbies influences a surgeon-in-training's performance on a cataract surgical simulator.

Materials and Methods Medical students (n = 70) performed navigation, forceps, and capsulorhexis simulations using the Eyesi Ophthalmosurgical Simulator. Participants were surveyed regarding fine motor hobby experiences, including musical instruments, video games, sewing, knitting, origami, painting, crafting, jewelry making, drawing, and extracurricular dissection.

Results Medical students with extracurricular dissection experience, including work in research laboratories involving microscopic animal dissection, did significantly better on the forceps simulator task (p = 0.009). Medical students with drawing experience performed better on capsulorhexis (p = 0.031). No other fine motor hobbies were significant for improving simulator scores.

Conclusion Drawing and extracurricular dissection lend to improved technical ability on the cataract surgical simulator. This research continues the conversation regarding fine motor hobbies that correlate with microsurgical ability and adds to the growing area of research regarding the selection and training of ophthalmology residents.

Keywords

cataract surgery - resident education - surgical simulator

Note

This study was previously presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Poster Presentation; 2019 April 28; Vancouver, BC. All authors fulfill the criteria for authorship and take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole.




Publication History

Received: 14 July 2020

Accepted: 07 September 2020

Article published online:
09 November 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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