Local ophthalmology students are now using an eye surgery simulator to practice procedures and the technology will allow them to fine tune their skills before facing real-life scenarios.

Eyesi is a high-tech, virtual reality device that reproduces a variety of eye surgery procedures including cataract, intraocular and retinal surgeries.

The device is used to train ophthalmology residents in a life-like environment so they can prepare to perform the procedures on real patients and provide the best care possible.

“Eyesi simulates the look and feel of eye surgery for our residents and gives them a unique opportunity to fine tune their skills before they experience the real thing,” said Dr. Chris Hanson, Alberta Health Services (AHS) ophthalmologist and Residency Program Director for Ophthalmology at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.

The $150,000 device was first used in Calgary at the end of last year and has been used to train 10 residents so far.

The device has a mannequin head with a life-sized eyeball and sits on a table facing the surgeon.

Eight openings in the eyeball allow surgeons to insert instruments, which are controlled through a microscope, and they can see the interior of the eye on a larger screen in real time.

Eyesi’s microscope and machine functions are controlled with foot pedals, just like real surgeries, and the device has different training modules for surgeries in the front and back parts of the eye.

“Eye surgery is extremely specialized and every fraction of a millimetre of movement counts,” said ophthalmology resident Dr. Vikram Lekhi. “It also requires subtle hand and foot movements. Performing the procedure through a microscope like in real surgery helps hone our hand/eye co-ordination.”

Before the simulator, students used pig eyeballs for eye surgery training.

“It’s definitely an interesting change going from the wet lab where we use either porcine eyes or human eyes that were donated to now using a surgical simulator. It’s a lot cheaper in the long run. People are able to not worry about the cost of these porcine eyes, the reliability of human eye donations and are able to use the computer consistently on a daily basis,” said Dr. Hanson.

The simulator was purchased by the University Eye Foundation and a fundraiser called ‘The Eye Ball’ is being held at Winsport on Saturday, April 23, 2016, to collect more funds for surgical and training equipment in the province.

For tickets to The Eye Ball and for more information, click HERE.