Biography:

Francisco Alvarado is a surgycal instructor on residents at wet-lab in “Asociacion Para Evitar la Ceguera en México, Hospital Dr. Luis Sánchez Bulnes” in México City, he used the simulator EyeSi for training resident´s in ophtalmology. Speaker at different congresses of human and veterinary medicine on ophtalmology, Has performed surgeries in ophthalmology in exotic and conventional animals: Phacoemulsification in a tiger, dogs and cats.

Abstract:

Objective: To determine if the time of training on the ophthalmic surgical simulator improves the learning curve of residents acquiring phacoemulsification skills.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective, experimental and comparative study. Performed in the teaching department at Asociación Para Evitar la Ceguera en México, Hospital Dr. Luis Sánchez Bulnes. Sixteen students were evaluated: with a training course of 6, 12 and 18 hours with the EYESi® ophthalmic surgery simulator. The exams presented to the students, comprised the following 5 exercises: capsulorhexis, hydrodelamination-hydrodissection, Phacoemulsification, Irrigation / Aspiration of cortical residues and placement of the intraocular lens. The maximum grade was 500 points (100 per exercise) and each student took the same test at least twice.

Results: The initial an final exams of 15 students were analyzed. There were statistically significant differences in surgical performance (P = 0.039)

Conclusions: The training of students with the EYESi® ophthalmic surgical simulator has positive effects on the learning curve and that effect correlated positively and significantly with the number sessions attended starting at a minimum of 6 hours