Abstract

The ophthalmic surgical simulator: integrating virtual training into ophthalmic surgical skills tuition

Author(s): Mark Watts

Simulated surgical environments are increasingly being recognised as important complements to traditional theoretical and operating theatre tuition for surgeons. We report the introduction of a computer based surgical simulator to further integrate ophthalmic surgery into the training programme of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (UK). The potential benefits of its use in training and as an assessment tool are discussed, together with caveats which must be considered. The integration with other teaching techniques, including existing skills centre training and e-learning are described.