Purpose To describe the cornea and keratorefractive surgeries experience of U.S. ophthalmology residents.

Methods Deidentified case logs of residents graduating in 2018 were collected from ophthalmology residency program directors in the United States. Using Current Procedure Terminology codes, case logs were reviewed in the categories of cornea and keratorefractive surgeries. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education national graduating resident surgical case logs on cornea procedures published from 2010 to 2020 were also analyzed.

Results Case logs were received for 152/488 (31.1%) residents from 36/115 (31.3%) ophthalmology residency programs. The most common procedures logged by residents as primary surgeons were pterygium removal (4.3 ± 4.2) and keratorefractive surgeries (3.6 ± 6.2). Residents logged an average of 2.4 keratoplasties as primary surgeon, performing an average of 1.4 penetrating keratoplasties (PKs) and 0.8 endothelial keratoplasties (EKs). As assistants, the most common procedures logged were keratorefractive surgeries (6.1 ± 4.9), EKs (3.8 ± 3.3), and PKs (3.5 ± 2.3). Medium or large residency class size was associated with higher cornea procedural volumes (odds ratio: 8.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.1–75.6; p < 0.05).

Conclusion The most common cornea surgeries performed by residents include keratoplasty, keratorefractive, and pterygium procedures. Larger program size was associated with greater relative cornea surgery volume. More specific guidelines for logging of procedures could provide a more accurate assessment of resident exposure to critical techniques such as suturing as well as reflect trends in current practice such as the overall increase in EKs.

Data from this manuscript were accepted for a poster presentation at the American University Professors of Ophthalmology Educating the Educators Meeting in January 2020 in Rancho Mirage, CA.

D.S. is a consultant for Alcon and receives grant support from the NEI and AAO Hoskins Center. Not related to this work. All other authors have no financial disclosures to report.

Received: 20 July 2021

Accepted: 11 January 2022

Article published online:
02 September 2022

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