Surgical Training

We provide a step-wise introduction to cataract surgery and suturing starting first year. During the first year, residents learn to do different parts of cataract surgery and go through the EyeSi training simulator curriculum during their VA rotation. In second year, the residents complete the EyeSi training simulator curriculum and begin to do full cataract surgery cases, performing all parts of the surgery.  In the chief year, residents have a cataract surgery boot camp with lectures and practice sessions in July-September, and continue to expand their surgical repertoire and practice more complicated techniques such as sutured IOL placement and extra capsular cataract extraction.

In addition to ad hoc sessions at the Stanford wet lab facility with ready access to surgical instruments, Kitaro eyes, pig eyes, and human cadaver eyes, residents in each clinical year have structured wet labs for practicing phaco-emulsification and anterior segment techniques with the latest equipment using both Alcon and AMO platforms. For example, phacoemulsification basics, advanced cataract microsurgery (iris hooks, Malyugin ring, i-ring, miLoop, capsular tension rings, and sutured intraocular lenses), and manual small incision cataract surgery.

There are also numerous subspecialty wetlabs organized every year for all the residents to attend, including:

· orbital dissection course
· drills session for orbital fracture repair with the oculoplastics service
· fillers and botulinum toxin sessions
· Bay Area Strabismus surgery Course
· glaucoma surgical procedures wet lab (MIGS iStent, glaucoma tube shunt, trabeculectomy, endocyclophotocoagulation)
· corneal suturing, penetrating keratoplasty, and other anterior segment procedures

We also have a bimonthly cataract M&M conference to allow residents to review videos and discuss surgical planning and techniques to continually improve patient outcomes. One of our faculty, Dr. Geoff Tabin, also hosts a monthly cataract video night in his home, where chief residents bring recent surgical videos for review. All residents maintain an ACGME case log of all surgical cases.