Eyeworld

58 | EYEWORLD | SPRING 2026 ATARACT C pathway for the right candidate. At my practice, we believe so strongly in this pathway that we started our own fellowship 3 years ago." Staying up to date and learning new techniques Staying current can be achieved with a com- bination of multiple meetings, journals, and ongoing peer-to-peer engagement, Dr. Michelet- ti said. "I think continued collaboration with colleagues is critical. While that often happens informally through group chats, case discus- sions, and shared experiences, structured col- laboration at meetings is still a pillar of staying current," he said. "In addition, for those inter- ested, engagement with industry can broaden exposure, through involvement in early projects, advisory boards, or educational initiatives on the professional education side." Dr. Patel said staying up to date on new techniques, technology, and research applies particularly in ophthalmology because there is always something new being developed. "This was one of the things that attracted me to oph- thalmology as a specialty," she said. "We rely on a combination of CME, national meetings, wet labs, peer mentorship, and journal articles to keep ourselves up to date." As far as learning new techniques, Dr. Patel said a lot of this occurs after training. "This is one of the reasons why understanding and learning fundamental surgical skills during residency is important, as you can build on that knowledge and expertise as new techniques evolve," she said. "Industry-supported education can be helpful when approached critically and supplemented by peer discussion. One of the most important aspects is making sure you are looking at your outcomes and reviewing your cases after the fact to see what was done well and what could have been done better." Dr. Patel added that surgery is extremely nuanced, and you realize that every little thing can be consequential. Understanding this will make you a better surgeon, she said. "Learning from peers and careful case selection are also import- ant to successfully integrating new techniques into your practice, and having the mindset of lifelong learning is essential to maintaining high-quality patient care." Different IOLs and techniques Dr. Patel noted that patient expectations with cataract surgery continue to rise, making un- derstanding of and experience with a variety of IOLs important. Different lens categories— monofocal, toric, EDOF, multifocal, adjust- able—each require thoughtful patient selection, counseling, and postop management, she said. "While the core surgical skills generally are transferable across lens platforms, the most im- portant experience to be gained is understand- ing how to manage patient expectations as well as how your own surgeon's factor integrates with each lens platform," she said. "I think if you didn't get the experience in residency with all the lens platforms, it is possible to do so when you are in practice, but again, it comes down to patient selection, counseling, and revis- iting outcomes once surgery is complete." Gaining experience with all available IOL platforms is mandatory, according to Dr. Mi- cheletti. "When I finished training, I intentional- ly avoided brand predilection and focused first on monofocal lenses, choosing the lens that best matched my refractive target," he said. "That agnostic approach helped me understand the nuances of different platforms and gave me a base from which to build. Learning the founda- tional monofocal designs provides the necessary basis for expanding into EDOF, multifocal, and trifocal technologies. From there, surgeons can gradually learn the specific strengths and tradeoffs of each optical design." continued from page 57 " Learning from peers and careful case selection are also important to successfully integrating new techniques into your practice, and having the mindset of lifelong learning is essential to maintaining high-quality patient care." —Priya Patel, MD

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