Eyeworld

N AUGUST 2019 | EYEWORLD | 21 Contact information Sassani: jsassani@simsys.us Smith: bsmith@simsys.us by Liz Hillman EyeWorld Senior Staff Writer went from having a large incision with multiple microsurgically placed sutures to a small inci- sion procedure with, in most cases, no sutures needed at all. But, he added, residents today still need to employ microsuturing techniques when faced with situations such as cataract wounds that don't self-seal, corneal lacerations, or open globe injuries. Unfortunately, getting that train- ing remains very resource intensive. As such, he thinks virtual reality-based simulation will be useful. Overall, microsurgical suture training can be difficult due to practical considerations of using pig eyes or other biologic models, Dr. Sassani said. There's also the factor of objective performance measurement. "The whole educational environment is changing, both in the availability of learn- ing material and the requirements placed on the teaching institution by regulatory bodies regarding what criteria they have to meet […] in order to move a resident forward to sit for board certification and to participate in human surgical procedures," Dr. Sassani said. "[Sim- ulation is] going to increase the uniformity of resident education, so that there will be specific skill sets that everyone will know residents have mastered because the simulator provides ob- jective evidence of that mastery. These educa- tional innovations are going to lead to increased surgical quality." In addition to training and testing proficien- cy for residents, Drs. Sassani and Smith envision simulation being used for refreshers for experi- enced surgeons. Military surgeons who are set to deploy, for example, might need to brush up on procedures they haven't performed in years. Simulation also allows surgeons to experience a variety of real-world wound situations. Corneal lacerations, for example, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. "With a simulator, you can present model injuries for a surgeon to attempt to repair, over and over again, and become proficient. Then if they are ever faced with that injury, they can be confident in the operating room," Dr. Sassani A trainee pilot would never take control of an aircraft without first proving his or her skills in a flight simulator. The stakes are just too high. Surgery is similar. The conse- quences of surgical errors are severe, so intensive training is required before operat- ing on patients. Training via traditional labo- ratory techniques, however, is expensive, time consuming, and requires the use of human and animal tissue. Thus, simulators have been used to facilitate surgical training. Ophthalmology is no exception, with virtual reality simulators like the Eyesi Surgical System (VRmagic) providing cataract and vitreoretinal surgery training. But there is still an unmet need for micro- surgery, according to Joseph Sassani, MD, and Brian Smith, PhD, who hope their virtual reality simulation technology, which is still a prototype under development at their startup, Simulation Systems, can fill the need. With more than 3 decades spent teaching residents, Dr. Sassani has seen ophthalmic surgery change. Cataract surgery, for example, Eyeing a new simulation system About the sources Joseph Sassani, MD Founder and president Simulation Systems Hummelstown, Pennsylvania Professor Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, Pennsylvania Brian Smith, PhD CEO Simulation Systems Hummelstown, Pennsylvania Financial interests Sassani: Simulation Systems Smith: Simulation Systems continued on page 23 The Simulation Systems technology in use Source: Simulation Systems

• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)