Video review of surgical cases vital to continuing education
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This column is a part of the ongoing series “I wish I hadn’t done that.” Past submissions can be read here.
As everyone knows, watching a video of yourself giving a talk is a miserable experience.
When forced to do so, a reasonable person might cringe at the sound of his own voice, the profusion of “errs” and “ums,” the manic hand gestures, the clumsy transitions, and even the standard apologetic incantation dutifully recited at the blessed end, “thank you for your kind attention.” Most people can intuitively feel that surprise humiliations lie in wait, undetected but not unsuspected, which become undeniable once the recording starts rolling.
This reluctance to review the tapes extends beyond the domain of our public lectures and into the realm of our actual ophthalmic surgeries. For instance, hardly anyone bothers to consistently record and review their routine operations, even though at all high levels of human physical performance, such as elite athletics, video study appears to be a critical component of building skills and weeding out mistakes.
Of all surgical specialties, ophthalmology would seem uniquely primed to conduct video review because the majority of our procedures are brief, bloodless and benefited by operating microscopes, which nowadays are potentially equipped with high-definition recording capabilities.
The purpose of this monthly “I wish I hadn’t done that” column is to engage a discussion of perfectly preventable surgical mistakes. All surgeons, I imagine, carry around a handful of memorable gaffes that inspire shame and embarrassment, even many years later. But for every big blunder, a thousand miniature miscalculations are certainly committed, many of which entirely escape our attention. And without being identified, they are impossible to correct.
For most of us, our formal training is complete, so nearly all our education comes in the form of what experience teaches us. Reading articles, attending lectures and consulting colleagues feel like learning, but there can be no more immediately practical and useful knowledge than turning a mirror to your own behavior. It is said that all knowledge begins with self-knowledge, and certainly in my own case, I know that regular review of my own operations never ceases to be shockingly, embarrassingly edifying.
- For more information:
- Jack S. Parker, MD, PhD, can be reached at Parker Cornea, 3745 Corporate Woods Drive, Vestavia Hills, AL 35242; email: jack.parker@gmail.com.
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