Sequential Hypothesis Testing to Characterise the Learning Curve and Monitor Surgical Performance in Retinal Detachment Surgery.

Purpose: To characterise the learning curve of primary retinal detachment (RD) repair for trainee surgeons and monitor the outcomes of surgery for established surgeons.

Procedures: Primary RD operations were analysed sequentially using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) and the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT).

Results: 359 analysed cases of primary RD were audited with a recurrent RD (ReRD) rate of 14.7%. The individual rate of ReRD ranged from 9.4 to 17.4% (p = 0.74). SPRT and CUSUM analyses showed that ReRD occurred at random when operated by senior surgeons but a learning curve was discernible for junior surgeons. There was a trend for a higher proportion of ReRD caused by untreated breaks in cases operated by junior surgeons (p = 0.75).

Conclusion: SPRT and CUSUM are useful methods to monitor surgical outcomes and should be included in audits of sequential operations such as RD. Trainee surgeons experience a quantifiable learning curve.