COLUMBUS, Ohio – Medical residents in the department of ophthalmology at Ohio State University Medical Center are the first in the country to use a virtual simulator that enables surgeons to practice delicate procedures in highly realistic conditions.
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Thomas F. Mauger, M.D. |
The learning process for residents is limited by the number of hospital cases they are exposed to, thus increasing the risk of complications.
“The new eye surgery simulator will provide objective assessments for our residents and will allow for repetitive training prior to experience with actual patients,” says Dr. Thomas Mauger, chair of the department of ophthalmology at OSU Medical Center.
Ophthalmology residents obtain surgical experience in carefully controlled conditions. The simulator gives them more opportunities to perfect their skills in difficult scenarios.
Residents can select a virtual surgical instrument from various sizes and types and the virtual eye reacts to a stimulus based on depth, angle and number of repetitions. In addition, the simulator allows trainees to encounter complications often observed in actual patients.
A mathematical model keeps track of lens behavior, microscope focus and chamber pressure. Several parameters can be configured before a simulated operation and points are given throughout the surgery. Feedback in the form of measurement data is given immediately following simulation.
“This surgical training tool enables our residents to gain familiarity with standard surgical procedures, as well as the treatment of rare cases and complications, without any risk to a patient, while improving upon efficiency,” says Mauger.
# # # Sherri L. Kirk
Medical Center Communications
614.293.3737
sherri.kirk@osumc.edu
