The learning curve: Ways to perfect premium surgery

A learning curve, by definition, is a graphical representation of the increase of learning with experience. A learning curve can be used in two main ways: either the same task is repeated over and over again, or a body of knowledge is learned over time. As premium surgeons, we know practice improves our surgical skill set, but “perfect practice makes perfect.” We must perform the necessary due diligence before performing any ocular surgery to make sure the surgery goes as planned. Likewise, the phrase “knowledge is power” is not far from the truth because the more knowledge we obtain as premium surgeons, the better we become at common and complex surgical cases. Below I discuss the various ways premium surgeons can lessen the steep learning curve associated with the microsurgical maneuvers we deal with every day.By participating either as a faculty member or as a course registrant, there are a slew of courses at the upcoming American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting in New Orleans that can hone a premium surgeon’s skill set. Personally, I am participating as a faculty member in a phacoemulsification course organized by my colleagues Drs. Anita Nevyas-Wallace and William Roper in which participants have the opportunity to trial in wet lab fashion the various current phacoemulsification machines available in the United States: Stellaris PC (Bausch + Lomb), WhiteStar (Abbott Medical Optics) and Centurion (Alcon). One-on-one hands-on uses of the various surgical instruments and IOLs from the same companies can also be tried out, with personalized attention by experienced faculty and surgical clinical application specialists from the companies. Kitaro kits (FCI) and porcine eyes are available during this course as well to master and improve upon various cataract surgical techniques. I will also be participating as a faculty member in a hands-on femtosecond laser cataract course in which each of the participants will have the opportunity to experience the various approved platforms in the United States: Lensar (Alphaeon), LenSx (Alcon), Catalys (Abbott Medical Optics), Victus (Bausch + Lomb) and Z8 (Ziemer).