Virtual reality improves surgical training, patient safety

Ophthalmic surgery requires microsurgical techniques to be executed with dexterity, precision and proficiency. Understandably, providing a risk-free environment to teach and practice microsurgical skills is challenging and is traditionally accomplished via microsurgical wet labs and highly supervised surgical procedures. Fortunately, surgical simulators have rapidly evolved in the last decade and are now being incorporated into many ophthalmology training programmes to augment microsurgical wet labs.