Operation Time for Pterygium Surgery by Ophthalmology Trainees

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the duration time of pterygium surgery performed by the ophthalmology residents in the first and second year of training with different surgical methods.
Methods: Data was collected retrospectively from medical records when the surgeons were first-year residents in 2016 and second-year in 2017. Operation time was compared according to each resident surgeon, year level of training, and surgical techniques.
Results: A total of 131 pterygium surgeries were performed by 5 ophthalmology residents, 93 and 38 pterygium excision procedures were performed by one group of residents in their first and second year of training, respectively. All pterygia were primary type with a single head. The mean pterygium size was 2.8 ± 1.4 mm. The range of operating duration was 52 - 83 minutes for individual surgeons. The mean duration of surgery performed by the first- and second-year residents was 64.1 ± 16.8 and 67.0 ± 22.2 minutes, respectively. The mean duration of surgery operated with amniotic membrane and conjunctival graft techniques were 64.7 ± 7.3 and 65.3 ± 20.4 minutes, respectively. The duration times of pterygium surgery were significantly different (P < .001) between surgeons but there were no statistically significant differences with regards to the level of training and method of surgery
(P > .05).
Conclusions: The duration of pterygium surgery varied between each resident surgeon, but did not differ in the level of training and surgical techniques.