Patients' attitudes towards trainee surgeons performing cataract surgery at a teaching hospital

AIM

To evaluate patients' preferences of surgeon to perform their cataract surgery if given a choice between consultant and trainee.

METHODS

A questionnaire based patient satisfaction survey was conducted in a large University Teaching Hospital in the UK. One hundred and eighty patients undergoing first eye cataract surgery between January and March 2006 were asked a number of set questions on their preferences regarding the surgeon performing the operation. Primary outcome measure was the patient's preference for who would perform their cataract surgery (consultant or trainee).

RESULTS

Overall, 126 (70%) accepted that trainee surgeons should operate as part of their training. Only 102 (81%) of these (57% of the total) would be happy to be operated on themselves by a supervised surgical trainee. Ninety-eight (78%) patients objected to being operated on by a trainee if they were to be unsupervised. One hundred and forty-two (79%) patients stated they would choose to wait longer for their surgery if it meant that a consultant would perform their operation. This preference was held significantly more strongly among patients who had been listed for surgery from a consultant's clinic rather than from the pooled 'cataract clinic' (P=0.048). One hundred and forty-four (80%) patients thought they should be told the name and designation of the surgeon who was to perform their operation.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing their first cataract procedure appear to have a preference for their named consultant to perform their surgery. If 'patient choice' extends to the choice of operating surgeon, then there are clear implications for the training of future UK ophthalmologists.