Article
From Wet to Dry-Lab: Ophthalmic surgery education using practice eyes and simulators
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Published: | September 22, 2004 |
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Outline
Text
Purpose
Introduction of a dry-lab setup to facilitate evidence based ophthalmic surgery education
Background
In current vitrectomy wet-labs, participants may succeed to manage some relevant surgical procedures in no more than 1 or 2 pig eyes over 2 - 4 hours lab time. Vitreoretinal surgery in pig eyes rarely allows to induce a posterior vitreous detachment. Thus, procedures as membrane peeling in macula puckers or the removal of the inner limiting membrane can not be performed.
Methods
The dry-lab setup includes three educational steps:
1. Theory discussed with the technicians and surgeons, covering the use of "hardware" as well as the principles of vitreoretinal surgery
2. Practical use of "hardware" on new practice eyes (e.g. suture techniques, adjustment of microscope and observation systems, instrumentation, removal of membranes)
3. Vitreoretinal surgery in the EYESI simulator (e.g. posterior vitreous detachment, ILM-peeling in different (simulated) diseases)
Results
Currently, experiences with the dry-lab setup show that participants get sufficiently introduced into the use of vitrectomy mashines, operating microscopes, optics and instrumentation and can perform between 10 and 25 vitreoretinal interventions, all in no more than 3 hrs. Many procedures in the EYESI simulator can be recorded and evaluated.
Conclusion
Compared to the traditional wet lab, the new dry-lab is significanty more efficient. Ophthalmosurgery in the simulator is realistic and can be evaluated.