Ophthalmic Surgical Simulation in Training Dexterity in Dominant and Nondominant Hands: Results From a Pilot Study

Purpose: To determine whether a structured training program using the validated EYESI surgical simulator improves dexterity in nondominant (ND) hands.

Setting: Academic tertiary referral center.

Design: Nonrandomized, prospective study.

Methods: Subjects who chose to participate and provided informed consent completed a structured simulation training program, which included a baseline test, 3 sessions of repeated tasks, and a final test on capsulorhexis in dominant (D) and ND hands. Participants completed demographic and satisfaction questionnaires. Performances at each session were recorded. We compared overall scores at baseline and at the end of the study, and analyzed trends over time. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP by SAS.

Results: Overall, 14 subjects completed the training program. In all, 3 (21.4%) were attending physicians and 11 (78.6%) were trainees. There was a significant improvement in the average overall scores (baseline vs. final) in both the D hand (33.4 vs. 46.5; p < 0.05) and the ND hand (28.9 vs. 47.7; p < 0.001). The structured training program demonstrated significantly faster performance times in both hands at the end of the study (D p< 0.001, ND p < 0.02). However, the learning curve was significantly steeper in the ND hand (p < 0.01). Participants agreed that simulation training improved the ND hand dexterity.

Conclusions: We found a significantly greater trend for improvement in the ND compared with the D hand. These results suggest that an elaborate, structured curriculum targeting teaching dexterity results in better simulated performance.