Learning phacoemulsification with triamcinolone acetonide

Sir,

Learning phacoemulsification cataract surgery can prove a difficult step for trainees, despite the advances in technology, which have led to its increased efficacy and safety. Aspiring ophthalmic surgeons should familiarise themselves with phacoemulsification in a wet laboratory before operating on patients, and it is now mandatory that UK ophthalmic trainees attend a basic surgery course before ‘hands on’ experience in the operating theatre.^{1, 2} However, the prosthetic and animal eyes used for training purposes are not the same as human eyes, and at some stage the trainee will have to operate for the first time on a ‘live’ patient. One of the skills to master when learning phacoemulsification is how to gauge the groove depth while sculpting. It needs to be sufficiently deep to allow easy cracking of the nucleus, yet not so deep as to damage the posterior capsule. Sculpting is particularly difficult in patients with a poor red reflex.³

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