Artificial Intelligence in Cataract Surgery Training

Surgery is a major source of error in patient care. Preventing complications from surgical errors in the general operating room is estimated to lead to the reduction of up to 41,846 readmissions and save $620.3 million per year. It has been established that poor technical skill is associated with an increased risk of severe adverse events after surgery, and traditional models to train surgeons are being challenged by rapid advances in technology, an intensified patient-safety culture, and a need for value-driven health systems. Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed across the world, and though this surgery has distinctive benefits such as improved vision and a reduced risk of falls, failing to learn the procedure to mastery is consequential. This chapter discusses the current methods available for evaluating technical skill in cataract surgery as well as the recent technological advancements that have enabled the capture and analysis of large amounts of complex surgical data for a more automated assessment of objective skills.