Comparative experience of phaco-I and kitaro eye models among ophthalmology trainees in Malaysia: A preliminary study

PURPOSE: To compare the user experience of Phaco-I and Kitaro among Malaysian ophthalmology trainees during phacoemulsification simulation. Secondary objectives included the preliminary validation of a questionnaire designed to assess internal consistency in simulation-based surgical training. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 19 ophthalmology trainees participating in a phacoemulsification workshop. Each participant used both the Phaco-I and Kitaro, and then completed a 28-item validated questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 20 items rated using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree), two items assessing model preference, and six open-ended questions to obtain qualitative feedback. Data were analysed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated for reliability. RESULTS: Kitaro scored significantly higher than Phaco-I across most domains, including surgical realism (median 4.00 vs 3.40, P = 0.011), skill development (median 4.25 vs 3.25, P = 0.002), confidence and skill transfer (median 4.00 vs 3.33, P = 0.0003), and overall experience (median 4.67 vs 3.00, P = 0.0003). Questionnaire reliability was excellent with Cronbach alpha coefficients exceeding 0.878. However, the interpretation of findings is limited by the small sample size. CONCLUSION: In this preliminary study, the Kitaro was perceived as offering a more realistic simulation experience for phacoemulsification training compared to Phaco-I. These findings highlight the potential utility of Kitaro for advanced simulation training among Malaysian ophthalmology trainees. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.