SOS – Simulated Ocular Surgery website and applications

Abstract

SummaryThere is growing interest in simulation training for learning surgery: there are huge benefits to patient safety if trainees can gain essential skills before they attempt surgery on real patients. In ophthalmology, traditional simulation attempts have included practicing simple surgical techniques on animal eyes, or perhaps cadaveric human tissue. These approaches, whilst undoubtedly useful, have some disadvantages e.g inability to practice in a completely realistic surgical environment, which would ideally be the trainee surgeon's own operating theatre, also, cadaveric human tissue, whilst excellent, is expensive to obtain, and store. In the last few years, advances in virtual reality, and plastics technology have stimulated widespread interest in more realistic, and less expensive surgical simulation systems, many of which, especially plastic eyes, allow the surgeon to practice in their own operating theatre, in the office using table‐top binocular microscopes, or even practice at home using loupes. I present our experiences with the ‘Simulated ocular surgery’ (SOS) system, across the full range of ocular surgery, with supporting videos of trainees using this system. For further information: simulatedocularsurgery.com.