The happiest patients after cataract surgery are the ones who achieve results that meet or exceed their expectations. Of course, … More
Category: Teaching
1312: focus on what is important
After a long day of surgery, I was telling a friend that I felt exhausted. And he remarked that since … More
1300: stress reduction improves surgery
When people hear that cataract surgery takes just a few minutes, the incorrect assumption is that it must be easy. … 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
1279: Top 5 Coach Sayings plus bonus
This is a fun video. We start off with my top 5 CataractCoach sayings that you’ve heard me say so … More
1277: more learning from audio clues
In this video a different surgeon is using a different phaco machine and a different technique to perform cataract surgery. … More
1276: audio clues from phaco machine
Your phaco machines makes all sorts of musical sounds when you are operating in order to give you real-time feedback … More
1272: the Golden Rule for patient care
I only remember a few things about kindergarten: playing handball during recess, watching Matilda eat paste, and learning the golden … 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
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
1244: why I use so many different IOLs
As surgeons, our number one priority is our patients. We look out for our patients and their best interests and … More
1230: surgeon & patient communication
Cataract surgery is a beautiful and fascinating procedure for us as ophthalmologists. But for patients it can be a nerve-wracking … 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
1216: How I prepare for my surgical days
In this video I review my routine for preparing for surgical days and I also explain why exercise makes you … More
1209: Thank you to my fellow surgeons
I am honored and humbled to have the vote of confidence from so many fellow ophthalmologists. This ranking from Newsweek … 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
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
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
1188: Three rules for patient discussions
Physicians need to understand importance of patient discussions regarding surgery Letting patients speak, making a specific recommendation, and explaining what … More
1186: Capsulorhexis danger zones
When I participate in a meeting, I always learn much more than I teach. I recently gave a graduation lecture … 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
1167: resident graduation lecture
I was honored to speak at the residency graduation annual seminar for the Jones Eye Institute at the University of … 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
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
1127: keeping track of surgical timing
You are the master of your own domain. The master of your own career. The master of your own life. … More
1122: Remote Capsulorhexis Training
Prof. John Ferris has started a novel program of remotely teaching young surgeons to improve their surgical skills. This can … More
1113: surgery center OR block time
Welcome to another Monday morning from my operating room (OR) at our Beverly Hills surgery center. We are discussing surgery … More
1112: surgical pearls for ocular asymmetry
While most patients have eyes that are very similar, there are a few patients where the eyes are remarkably different, … More
1111: Playlist: Surgical Learning
All great surgeons are students for life: continually learning and evolving surgical techniques to keep up with the latest techniques … More
1099: some amazing surgical pearls
With CataractCoach, I am sharing everything that I have learned or figured out during the past 25 years in ophthalmology. … More
1088: Recent residency graduate critique
This video was submitted by an ophthalmologist who recently graduated from residency training. He has about 350 phaco cases of … More
1086: Do you get nervous or anxious?
I will be the first person to tell you that performing ocular surgery is stressful and not easy. We are … More
1064: lessons from 1 year of COVID-10
Just more than a year ago, we had a nationwide shutdown to attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. This … More
1042: you must practice suturing!
If more than 99% of my cataract surgery cases do not require a suture, then why is it so important … More
1000 posts/videos on CataractCoach
Back in May of 2018, I had the idea to start CataractCoach.com where I would routinely post about cataract surgery, … More
I wish I had this book in residency!
“What your medical school and ophthalmology textbooks can’t teach you, but what your mentors, colleagues, and patients will!” That really … More
Playlist: Critical Life Lessons
Let’s start the new year right and make 2021 the time where you advance your surgical skills. Certainly dexterity and … More
clean your optics & focus the microscope
This is actually a very important lesson. Your microscope optics will determine your view for the surgery and that could … More
Learning Phaco Chop: you can do it!
Young surgeons need to learn to perform phaco chop — it makes cataract surgery efficient and increases safety. Less ultrasonic … More
Review: Career Paths for Surgical Learning
The path to learning surgery is a long and challenging one. True success requires years of dedication and the passion … More
Angle Alpha and Angle Kappa with IOLs
If an IOL has zero power, such as in an extremely myopic patient, where we place it in the eye … More
Surgeon returns after a 3 month hiatus
Performing surgery at a high level is a skill that must be continually honed and practiced. What happens when we … More
great learning resident cataract case
If you are in an ophthalmology residency program in the northern hemisphere, particularly in the USA, then you know that … More
Is ophthalmology residency too difficult?
There is no doubt that ophthalmology residency training is more difficult now than it was 10 or 20 years ago. … More
climbing up the surgical skill bell curve
Learning surgery, particularly micro-surgery, is very difficult. No one is born knowing how to work within the 0.25 cubic centimeter … More
Critiquing my old cataract surgery video
I was digging through some old computer files and I came across an old video that I made in 2006. … More
Review: Soft-Shell OVD technique
The Soft-Shell Technique for viscoelastic use in cataract surgery was developed by Dr. Steve Arshinoff as a method of getting the best … More
Learn as I coach this resident
Many ophthalmologists from around the world have asked if we offer a fellowship, externship, or clinical rotation so that they … More
Mastering Divide-and-Conquer
Most young ophthalmologists start learning phacoemulsification cataract surgery with the divide-and-conquer technique. This is an easier technique to learn than … More