Original article
Performance of Patients With Deficient Stereoacuity on the EYESi Microsurgical Simulator

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2010.09.011Get rights and content

Purpose

To compare the performance of individuals with deficient stereoacuity with that of individuals with normal stereoacuity on a microsurgical task using the VRMagic EYESi Ophthalmosurgical Simulator (VRmagic Holding AG).

Design

Prospective, experimental study at a single institution.

Methods

Subjects with abnormal stereoacuity and controls with normal stereoacuity completed a total of 4 attempts on 2 standardized microsurgical tasks on the EYESi Simulator. Performance was quantified using a 60-point scale, and scores were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test with a significance level of .05 assumed for all tests.

Results

Twenty-one subjects with deficient or absent stereoacuity and 21 control subjects with normal stereoacuity were included. The mean age of both groups was 31.5 years (range, 10 to 64 years). Twenty-nine (69%) participants were male. The 2 groups did not differ in age or gender. For each of the 4 module attempts, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test showed significantly better performance of individuals in the control group compared with the study group (P < .001). Additional attempts did not result in improved performance by the study group compared with the control group. No significant associations were observed between performance scores and age or gender.

Conclusions

This study compared the performance of patients with deficient stereoacuity with that of those with normal stereoacuity in microsurgical tasks. Individuals with normal stereoacuity performed better than those with deficient stereoacuity in a simulated microsurgical task. A larger and more complex study may be necessary to validate the findings of the present investigations.

Section snippets

Methods

A prospective experimental study was conducted at the Cole Eye Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Inclusion criteria for the study group included deficient stereoacuity (80 seconds of arc or less on the Titmus stereotest; Stereo Optical Company, Chicago, Illinois, USA) and binocular best-corrected Snellen visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Inclusion criteria for the control group included normal stereoacuity (60 seconds of arc or more on the Titmus stereotest), best-corrected Snellen visual acuity of

Results

A total of 42 patients were recruited into the study: 21 patients with deficient or absent stereoacuity and 21 control patients with normal stereoacuity. Results are given in Table 1. The mean age of the 42 subjects was 31.5 years (range, 10 to 64 years). The median and mean ages were 30 and 32 years, respectively, in the study group, and 29 and 31 years, respectively, in the control group. Of the 42 subjects, 29 (69%) were male, 15 within the study group and 14 within the control group. Based

Discussion

To date, several medical fields have used simulation techniques in training and evaluation of students, residents, fellows, practicing physicians, and paramedical personnel. Simulators in cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, resuscitation, and anesthesia have been reported as realistic representations that may assist in resident training while avoiding the risk of complications potentially associated with inexperience.7, 8, 9 Recently, advances in this field have resulted in virtual reality

Reecha Sachdeva, MD, received her medical degree from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She completed a medical internship at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY. She is currently chief resident at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, and is pursuing a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

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    Reecha Sachdeva, MD, received her medical degree from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She completed a medical internship at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY. She is currently chief resident at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, and is pursuing a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

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