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Abstract #12434 Published in IGR 7-2
Resident glaucoma surgical training in United States residency programs
Golden RP; Krishna R; DeBry PWJournal of Glaucoma 2005; 14: 219-223
PURPOSE: To determine current trends in resident glaucoma surgical training throughout the United States. METHODS: A comprehensive survey was sent to the residency director of all 121 ACGME-accredited ophthalmology training programs in the United States. RESULTS: The mean and median number of glaucoma procedures a resident will complete by the end of their training is 8.6 and 8 respectively for trabeculectomy, 5.3 and 4 for combined trabeculectomy/phacoemulsification, and 3.6 and 2 for tube-shunts. One percent of residents will gain experience as primary surgeon on trabeculectomies during their first year, 32% during their second year, and 67% during their third year. Seventy-five percent of residents are taught more than one trabeculectomy technique by more than one staff surgeon. Eighty-four percent of residents are taught glaucoma surgery almost exclusively by fellowship-trained glaucoma surgeons. Eighty-two percent of residents use antimetabolites (mitomycin C or 5-FU) as an adjunct to trabeculectomy most or all of the time. More than 96% of resident tube-shunt procedures use Ahmed, Baerveldt, or Molteno devices. Eighty percent of residents do not perform any pediatric glaucoma surgeries. Sixty-two percent of residents rotate out of their main facility to perform glaucoma surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Residents are being exposed to glaucoma surgery early in their residency training. Most are performing a variety of different procedures and techniques, and are taught by fellowship-trained surgeons. Residents gain very little exposure to pediatric glaucoma surgery. All programs reported compliance with minimum RRC requirements for glaucoma filtering surgery.
Dr. R.P. Golden, Eye Foundation of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA
