Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Surgical Trends of Ophthalmology Residents Graduating After 2020

Purpose: To examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical volumes of ophthalmology residents who completed training after 2020. Methods: Aggregated average case logs of primary surgeon and surgeon + assist (S+A) procedures for graduating ophthalmology residents in the U.S. between 2012 and 2023 were gathered from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Trends for primary surgeon and S+A procedures were assessed. The annual percent change in primary surgeon and S+A procedures was determined using linear regression to compare changes over three time periods: 2012-2019, 2019- 2020, and 2020-2023. Results: Total cases as a primary surgeon and in S+A roles increased each year from 2020-2023. Primary surgeon and S+A experiences exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 2023 and 2022, respectively. Recovery from pre-pandemic levels was seen in both primary surgeon and S+A for total cornea, glaucoma, and other retinal procedures. For primary surgeon and S+A procedures, the post-pandemic cohort experienced an increase in annual percent change in total procedures compared to the pre-pandemic cohort (5.1% vs 3.2%, p = .002 and 3.4% vs 1.2%, p < .001, respectively). Conclusions: Residents graduating after 2020 performed more primary surgeon and S+A procedures than their peers who graduated in 2020. The average annual percent change in total procedures for primary surgeon and S+A cases from 2020-2023 was greater than that seen from 2012-2019 for total procedures and many subcategories