A new computer-based simulation tool allows users to safely practice phacoemulsification cataract surgery in real scenarios, according to a news release.
The Mass. Eye and Ear Cataract Master was co-developed by Bonnie An Henderson, MD, FACS, Harvard Medical School ophthalmology residency training program director, John I. Loewenstein, MD, Adam Neaman, PhD, and several colleagues. It is intended to bridge the gap between wet lab training and surgery.
The Cataract Master offers a self-guided, self-correcting curriculum that requires trainees to make decisions based on realistic surgical situations, according to the release. Features of the simulator include realistic animations, videos of actual surgeries, discussions of each phase of the procedure and pop-up questions relating to the various surgical steps.
"The Cataract Master aims to minimize clinical risk while providing residents and practicing ophthalmologists with the most authentic cataract surgical experience possible outside the operating room," said Dr. Loewenstein, in the release. "The goal is to boost skills and confidence, to better prepare residents for the surgical experience, and to raise the quality of patient care everywhere."
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