New Surgical Training Suite Coming to Flaum

A million-dollar state-of-the-art surgical training suite.

Surgical training labs are a crucial component of an aspiring ophthalmologist’s education. Here, trainees spend long hours practicing the required procedural steps before performing surgery on patients. This experience allows residents to hone their skills and have their progress reviewed by their faculty instructors before entering the high-stakes and stressful environment of the operating room. A little more than a decade ago, Flaum Eye Institute completed a half-million-dollar update of its training facility, resulting in a modern facility that was the envy of many other programs. It included a specialized system for cataract surgery training, where students could perform surgical maneuvers on artificial eyes.

Since then, numerous advances have been made in improving wet lab efficacy, including the addition of computer-based surgical simulators. As these innovations happened, FEI’s equipment aged. Although the current wet lab is fully functional, Residency Program Director Rachel Wozniak, MD, PhD, and Associate Director, Wen Fan Hu, MD, PhD, undertook the challenge to imagine a new space to inspire students while improving their skills. A plan was announced recently to make this upgrade a reality, and it is the nexus of a $1 million fundraising campaign.

“Learning surgery is stressful,” Hu said. “Even more so for ophthalmic surgery, where our patients are awake during procedures. To introduce surgical training safely and responsibly, wet lab-based experience is critical for patients and new surgeons. This includes both traditional experiences, using various forms of model eyes, and through new simulation-based training programs.”

The proposed enhancements to the current facility aim to improve the surgical training experience. The renovation includes four new surgical stations. Each will be equipped with state-of-the-art surgical microscopes and phacoemulsification machines (equipment central to performing cataract surgery). A new video recording and presentation system will also be incorporated to facilitate teaching. Here, aspiring surgeons will be able to perform procedures on model eyes and have their progress monitored and reviewed by their experienced faculty mentors.

The centerpiece of the wet lab update will be the installation of an Eyesi surgical simulator. This virtual reality device allows trainees to practice tasks performed in cataract surgery while using lifelike surgical instruments. A structured curriculum leads trainees step-by-step to proficiency, providing detailed feedback to students and reporting progress to instructors.

Besides the new surgical stations and the Eyesi, there are also plans to include simulator stations that teach patient examination techniques frequently performed in a clinic. The resulting renovations represent an effort by Hu and Wozniak to introduce surgical training earlier during residency.

“There are many advantages to this,” Hu said “For procedural skills, we know that the number of repetitions matters. Equally important is having ample time to process and reflect on these newly acquired skills. By spreading out training over a longer period of time, there are more opportunities to absorb and digest the details and nuances of surgery.”

The renovations are scheduled to be completed by winter 2025, but part of the project has already begun. The surgical simulator will arrive in the summer of 2024 thanks to a recent, undisclosed gift. The team is incredibly excited about the project and believes that, once completed, it will put FEI’s wet lab in the upper echelon of facilities, helping it recruit the best medical students. Most importantly, it will help the residents and their future patients.

Zachary Laird | 4/16/2024