Resident surgeon efficiency in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery

Comparison of resident surgeon performance efficiencies in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) versus conventional phacoemulsification. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on consecutive patients undergoing phacoemulsification cataract surgery performed by senior ophthalmology residents under the supervision of 1 attending physician during a 9-month period in a large Veterans Affairs medical center. Medical records were reviewed for demographic information, preoperative nucleus grade, femtosecond laser pretreatment, operative procedure times, total operating room times, and surgical complications. Review of digital video records provided quantitative interval measurements of core steps of the procedures, including completion of incisions, anterior capsulotomy, nucleus removal, cortical removal, and intraocular lens implantation. Total room time, operation time, and corneal incision completion time were found to be significantly longer in the femtosecond laser group versus the traditional phacoemulsification group (each