In the UK, ophthalmology registrars must complete a structured training programme before becoming consultants. Cataract surgery is a core part of this training, and progress is carefully monitored.
By the end of training, registrars are expected to have performed several hundred cataract operations, recorded and assessed through national training portfolios and audits¹. These are not simply numbers for the sake of volume — they represent graduated exposure to increasing complexity, responsibility, and independence.
Early cases are performed under close supervision. As skills develop, trainees progress to more challenging cases with increasing autonomy. Only when competence is demonstrated consistently can a registrar be signed off for completion of training.
Importantly, these minimum numbers represent the end of supervised training, not mastery. Like all procedural specialties, cataract surgery involves an ongoing learning curve that continues well beyond consultancy appointment².
For patients, this means that a newly appointed consultant has met nationally defined competency standards and has already performed hundreds of operations under supervision. It also explains why experience continues to matter even after formal training ends.
References
- Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Ophthalmic Specialist Training (OST) Curriculum. RCOphth; latest edition.
- Narendran N, Jaycock P, Johnston RL, et al. Learning curves in cataract surgery: analysis from the Cataract National Dataset. Eye (London). 2009;23(2):235–241.
