A mandatory microsurgical skills course for first-year ophthalmology trainees has demonstrated significant improvements in early cataract surgical performance and patient safety, according to research published recently.1

The retrospective study analysed surgical logbook data from 112 first-year trainees across Australia and New Zealand, comparing those who completed the University of Sydney Microsurgical Skills Course (MSC, 77 trainees, 2023–2024) with a control cohort who did not (35 trainees, 2022).

By three months into training, the intervention cohort showed marked advantages. These trainees performed significantly more cataract surgeries (36.2 vs 26.0 procedures), assumed senior surgical roles more frequently, and required fewer supervisor takeovers compared to the control group. Most notably, the posterior capsule tear rate was substantially lower at 1.3% versus 2.9% in the control cohort.

By 12 months, while overall surgery numbers and posterior capsule tear rates had equalised between groups, the MSC-trained cohort maintained their advantage in leading surgical roles and continued to require less frequent senior surgeon intervention.

The study examined 11,613 cataract surgeries performed during the first training year, with researchers also considering prior surgical experience, trainee demographics, and intraoperative complications.

The findings suggest that structured microsurgical training accelerates skill acquisition and enhances patient safety during the critical early training period. Researchers noted the course will provide a foundation for assessing outcomes beyond cataract surgery and throughout the training programme.

The Microsurgical Skills Course became mandatory to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) Vocational Training Programme in 2023.

Reference
1. Nguyen V, Khanal S, Kerdraon Y, et al. A microsurgical skills course improves cataract surgery proficiency in first year Australia and New Zealand ophthalmology trainees. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology (2025): 1–8, doi: 10.1111/ceo.70035.