Dr Jacqui Beltz overseeing Eyesi VR training in Melbourne

A 38% reduction in posterior capsule rupture (PCR) rates in cataract surgery by ophthalmology trainees in the UK has been linked to the introduction of Eyesi virtual reality (VR) surgical training.

A Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ National Ophthalmology Database study of first- and second-year surgeons’ PCR rates over seven consecutive years across 29 National Health Service ophthalmology units compared trainee operations before, after and without access to Eyesi training.

Overall, there was a 38% reduction in trainees unadjusted PCR rates from 4.2% in 2009 to 2.6% in 2015 for surgeons with access to an EyeSi, and a 3% reduction from 2.9% to 2.8% for surgeons without access to an EyeSi, reported study authors in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.