Observership report from Izabela Sucharska, Poland, at Instituto de Microcirurgia Ocular in Barcelona, Spain

I have spent 4 weeks as an observer in Instituto de Microcirurgia Ocular in Barcelona, Spain from 1st-26th of October 2018.

Due to Spanish laws, as an observer I could not participate in the patient’s examination. So, during my stay there I was spending all the time in the operating theatre where I could have seen the pictures of the patients taken before the surgery and got some information from the surgeon.

Organisation of observership was perfect. There were at least 2 screens with live microscope image or video camera in all of the operating rooms and one of them was equipped with 3-D screen, which gave a great sense of surgery. It was possible twice a week to join excellently equipped wetlabs with helpful and very pleasant staff that was ready to guide through more advanced surgeries as keratoplasty or vitrectomy (though only in Spanish). When there were no oculoplastic surgeries on specific days, I could participate in other subspecialities’ surgeries.

In overall, I have participated in various ptosis and blepharoplasty surgeries, floppy eyelids surgery, ectropion surgery, orbital tumour surgery, chalazion surgery, ILM peeling vitrectomies, retinal detachment repair vitrectomies, phacovitrectomy, penetrating keratoplasty, endothelial keratoplasty, limbal transplantation, FemtoLASIK, PRK, trabeculectomy, Ahmed glaucoma valve implant and phacoemulsifications. I also trained in the wet labs twice a week.

Generally, the staff were very nice and helpful and the hospital was very well prepared for observers. Although it is impossible to participate in clinical examinations of the patients. I recommend this center for everybody interested in surgery and willing to observe some greatly experienced surgeons using the most advanced surgery techniques.