16 EyeWorld Asia-Pacific | June 2025 CATARACT the progression and integration of these tools within the broader training framework, he said. When commenting on whether virtual training options could grow to replace traditional ophthalmic training, Dr. Krad again stressed that traditional in-person training is crucial for establishing a solid foundation in surgery. “Without this foundational training, the effectiveness of virtual learning is significantly diminished. Only with a strong foundation can one fully leverage the benefits of virtual training resources,” he said. The rapid growth in virtual and augmented reality technologies holds immense potential for surgical training and collaboration, Dr. Krad continued. “These advancements could enable trainees and practicing physicians worldwide to participate remotely in training sessions, experiencing them as if they were physically present. Imagine being able to virtually assist in any surgery from your home office. During a lunch break, for instance, one could virtually scrub in and observe a retina, cataract, or cornea specialist through the assistant scope. Interactive features, such as live Q&A with the surgeon, could further enhance the learning experience. This technology has the potential to dramatically improve access to specialized surgical training, benefiting both ophthalmologists and patients worldwide.” Training programs equipped to provide top-tier surgical education have a unique opportunity to elevate the standard of care within their communities, Dr. Krad said. “By extending their educational resources virtually to practicing ophthalmologists, they can foster a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. The technology to livestream or post recordings of grand rounds and notable cases is readily available. Embracing this opportunity to share knowledge will ultimately translate to improved patient outcomes.” Dr. Haugsdal finds that these newer simulation options complement the more traditional training approach. “The virtual simulators and traditional simulation models each have their benefits,” she said. “The simulators may be better for introductory-level level education of a technique, whereas traditional approaches could be more helpful for advanced techniques.” She added that some newer technology that is in development is the use of AI to analyze recorded surgical videos to assist with surgical education. “This could be used to determine inefficiencies in surgery or track trends in surgical time of individual steps or whole surgeries, or even to compare trainee videos to expert videos to determine areas that deviate from expert level,” she said. “This technology could be used as an additional surgical teacher or mentor to help provide feedback to the trainee on their actual surgical videos.” In terms of new and future technologies and applications, Dr. Chung noted the quest to try to get more objective data from surgery itself. This will help to show the steps and where there’s room for improvement, he said, adding that AI and machine learning could play a role in evaluating such data going forward.
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