From our USF + CataractCoach video contest, I present to you the 2nd and 3rd place winners. These videos are … More
Category: beginning surgeons / novice surgeons
1395: Contest Winners: Honorable Mention
I had the pleasure of being a visiting professor at the University of South Florida USF Eye Institute in Tampa, … More
1380: every little surgical step is critical
Ophthalmic surgery can be very unforgiving. There is often very little or no room for error because the delicate ocular … More
1378: young surgeon chop technique
The young surgeon featured in this video does an excellent job of performing phaco chop in this routine cataract case. … More
1371: resident cataract case 101 review
This is our last video in the series of resident cataract cases at different points along the learning curve. Even … More
1369: resident cataract case 90 review
This is a tough cataract for a beginning surgeon, but with the help of the supervising attending physician, the case … More
1368: resident cataract case 74 review
This is a tough cataract for a beginning surgeon, but with the help of the supervising attending physician, the case … More
1367: resident cataract case 60 review
This is a tough cataract for a beginning surgeon, but with the help of the supervising attending physician, the case … More
1366: resident cataract case 13 review
This is a tough cataract for a beginning surgeon, but with the help of the supervising attending physician, the case … More
1364: benchmark for resident case 100
There is no doubt that cataract surgery is very difficult to learn. Learning intra-ocular surgery is likely the most difficult … More
1358: sub-incisional cortex removal
In the USA, the most common method for removal of cortex is using a coaxial IA probe, whereas in other … More
1343: operate on the steep axis if possible
Some beginning surgeons like to shift the phaco incision in order to maximize their “hand comfort” even if that means … More
1337: how to needle encapsulated setons
A glaucoma seton, such as the Ahmed Valve from New World Medical (by the way, it is not named or … More
1302: suturing a phaco wound burn
We have covered the topic of phaco wound burn many times and we even had a very astute resident prevent … More
1296: senior resident case 50 critique
I admire the resident surgeon who submitted this video. S/he cares so much about surgical development of skills that the … More
1286: biggest challenges after fellowship
I recently had an enlightening dinner with two former residents: Tripper Sauer MD (UCLA JSEI class of 2017) and David … More
1280: phaco trabeculotomy canaloplasty
This video shows one of our residents doing her very first surgery with the OMNI surgical device for angle based … More
1278: case 350 for a young surgeon
In this video we are evaluating the performance of an anonymous young surgeon who is performing case 350. At this … More
1267: Why is there so much fluidic surge?
This resident case shows the problem of fluidic surge: when the inflow of fluid into the eye is mismatched (for … More
1265: Six mistakes young surgeons make
Learning cataract surgery during ophthalmology residency is critically important for many reasons. It is the most widely performed ophthalmic surgery, … More
1261: Why is the AC so shallow in IA?
Remember that we are operating in a very tiny space of less than 1 milliliter of volume and that we … More
1260: avoid this mistake with IOL insertion
This video shows a very important lesson that all beginning surgeons must learn. A lack of pivoting in the incision … More
1253: preventing a phaco wound burn
An anonymous resident emailed me with a thank you because a pearl that was learned here on CataractCoach prevented a … More
1245: tips to improve phaco technique
Dear CataractCoach viewers and fans, I need your help for this video. This is an anonymous resident surgeon who has … More
1243: resident surgeon stop-and-chop
This resident has done about 60 cataract surgeries as the primary surgeon and in this video she performs a routine … More
1235: convert to manual ECCE surgery
This case poses a big challenge: the posterior capsule ruptures and we realize this when there is suddenly a pronounced … More
1225: a bad incision leads to iris damage
The incision is a very important part of the cataract surgery. It determines the access to the anterior segment and … More
1224: listen to your phaco machine
Our phaco machines have built in speakers and they make sounds that provide the surgeon with important real-time feedback while … More
1223: how to set up your phaco machine
The surgeon is the captain of the operating room and must know everything about the case and instrumentation. While we … More
1217: finally a great phaco incision
When residents are learning cataract surgery, one of the struggles is getting the phaco incision right. The incision is critical … More
1215: soft PSC cataract in a 30 year old
When we perform cataract surgery for any patient, we must be cognizant that the patient will see the world through … More
1212: resident posterior polar cataract
Studies have shown that 1 out of 3 posterior polar cataract surgeries result in a ruptured posterior capsule. Here’s the … More
1203: Resident’s 200th cataract surgery
In this video we are critiquing an anonymous resident surgeon’s 200th cataract case. I will be doing the voiceover the … More
1202: pearls for your first LASIK surgery
It is important to learn LASIK and other forms of refractive surgery during residency training. When I was a resident … More
1201: resident ruptured capsule case
This anonymous submitted video is from a resident who has edited down the video to the pertinent parts of the … More
1198: run-out rhexis leads to vitreous
The capsulorhexis is a very important part of the cataract surgery because it ensures compartmentalization of the eye during phacoemulsification … More
1197: rescue this case of iris prolapse
This is a tough resident case and it all started to go downhill with a poorly constructed phaco incision. This … More
1196: newbie guide for toric IOL success
Using a toric IOL is an important skill for an ophthalmology resident to learn. This video gives pearls for learning … More
1195: when you should not operate
Any surgeon can operate, but it takes a surgeon with good judgment to know when not to operate. During my training, one … More
1192: talented UK registrar phaco case
An anonymous registrar from the UK sent in this video of one of her recent cataract surgery cases and I … More
1191: resident performs stop-and-chop
This video is about the 200th cataract surgery case being performed by this senior resident. The stop-and-chop technique is being … More
1190: guide for learning stop-and-chop
Not every ophthalmologist becomes proficient with phaco chop during residency training and that is acceptable since it can be learned … More
1189: learning after residency training
Recently a resident asked me what would happen if he did not get to learn to implant a new design … More
1181: time to up your residency game!
This is being posted on July 31, 2021 and that is one month into the academic year for ophthalmology residency … More
1177: what is this red reflex crescent?
This patient is undergoing cataract surgery and as soon as you insert the phaco probe into the eye, you notice … More
1175: the last case of residency
This is the final cataract case that was performed during residency and likely represents about 200 to 300 cataract surgeries … More
1162: resident posterior capsule rupture
This resident experiences a posterior capsule rupture during phaco and there is still a lot of nuclear lens material in … More
1156: skill level after 100 cataract cases
July marks the beginning of the academic year here in the USA when our new residents begin their training process … More
1139: playlist: resident complications
With July 1 just a few days away, a new class of senior residents will climb up the learning curve … More
1134: Equal Opportunity or Equal Outcome?
Imagine two different doctors: Dr A and Dr B, both of whom are doing their residency training in ophthalmology. Dr … More