The combined Universities of Sydney and Otago’s Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Microsurgical Skills Course at the Sydney Eye Hospital has gone from strength to strength since it was established in 2019, with its now twice-yearly 20 places booked months in advance and organisers considering a waiting list.
The brainchild of Gisborne-based consultant ophthalmologist Dr Graham Wilson, an Otago University clinical senior lecturer, the ANZ microsurgical skills course is based on a similar course in the UK, which is compulsory for trainee ophthalmologists there. Dr Rob Jones, a Nelson-based consultant ophthalmologist and first-time ANZ microsurgical skills trainer, said it’s an impressive course. “I was knocked sideways by the level of organisation and the resources made available to the attendees. I certainly had nothing like this when I was starting out. Crucially, this course now allows for the acquisition of a basic skill set before being involved with surgery on actual patients.
“Aside from the world-class setup involving around 10 phaco machines with on-hand industry support, cadaveric material and the EyeSi simulator, the attendees had almost one-to-one contact with trainers – something that can be hard to achieve even during formal training!” he said.
The course runs for three days with two days of suturing and knots on pigs’ eyes, skill boards and cadavers, followed by a day of cataract surgery and minor eye procedures on cadavers. Trainees were also given time on the EyeSi virtual training simulator, said Dr Wilson, with a second one now ordered for future courses.
