Posters

How stressful is cataract surgery for consultants and ophthalmic trainees?

Poster Details

First Author: S.Tung UK

Co Author(s):    P. Watts   D. Ho   G. Williams              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

The aim of the survey is to evaluate the prevalence stress experienced by Ophthalmic trainees and consultant as a result of cataract surgery.

Setting:

Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed operation amongst Ophthalmologists and current trainees start practical operative training from a junior level. Intraoperative stress is recognised to be worse for inexperienced cataract surgeons and stress is associated with underperformance which can affect the entire surgical team.

Methods:

A Survey Monkey questionnaire has been sent to all trainees and consultants in the Wales Deanery to assess stress and burnout based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Trainees were asked about their number of cataracts they performed and the year of training, while consultants were asked how many years they had been practising and how stressful they find supervising trainees.

Results:

Ninety percent of Welsh trainees responded to the survey with the average MBI score being 5.8 out of 42. Sixty- eight percent valid responses were obtained from the consultant group and the MBI score on average was 6.9. Consultants with more than 10 years experience has the lowest stress level, while those with less than 5 years experience demonstrated an average stress level of 10.7.

Conclusions:

The survey has shown that trainee cataract surgeons, despite their relative inexperience, admit to universal low levels of stress related to cataract surgery. Inexperience consultant surgeons with less than five years experience, on average admit to more stress than any other group. Additional emphasis may be in order to support the transition from being a senior trainee to junior trainer.

Financial Disclosure:

None