Cataracts remain the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide.  The development of this course was an effort to make learning to perform cataract surgery more accessible to trainees in the US and worldwide.  The course teaches the fundamentals required to perform successful phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract surgery. Expert cataract surgeons will lecture on each step of cataract surgery from preoperative assessment to postoperative care. Lectures will explain the “how-to,” pitfalls, and successful execution of each part of cataract surgery.  Surgical video is included to demonstrate optimal performance of various steps.  More advanced topics such as small pupil, astigmatism, and capsular complications are also reviewed.  Since most cataract surgeries are done with the patient awake, it is imperative that the surgeon gains as much knowledge as possible prior to entering the operating room.

Course Objectives:

1. Describe proper technique for performing cataract surgery, from wound construction to wound closure

2. Evaluate a patient with cataracts in preparation for surgery and determine the appropriate anesthetic to use

3. Know how to identify potentially difficult cataracts and list appropriate strategies for complicated cataract surgery

4. Understand intraocular lens calculations, forumlas, and selection

Syllabus

The course syllabus is available here.

Course Outline:

Week 1: Prior to the Operating Room

Week 2: In the Operating Room and Getting to the Cataract

Week 3: Removing the Cataract and Lens Replacement

Week 4: Cataract Complications and Extras