Article

New task force to tackle wrong site, wrong IOL surgery as first initiative

San Fransisco-A new task force has been formed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

San Fransisco-A new task force that will focus on physician competency, patient care, and safety, the Performance Improvement Taskforce, has been formed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) with the assistance of the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) and the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Co..

The task force will create education-related activities and tools to help physicians identify and measure areas of improvement using evidence-based and common-sense protocols. The first mission of the task force is to address IOL implant surgery performed on the wrong eye or with the wrong IOL. Of the 106 cases covering 23 years studied, such mistakes were the most common ones made by physicians and their teams, according to a retrospective study in the Archives of Ophthalmology that documents surgical confusion.

"Mistakes are extremely uncommon when it comes to wrong site or wrong IOL implant, but they are serious," said Joseph Caprioli, MD, FACS, chairman of the task force and professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles. "Simple steps that begin in the office and end in the operating room can help ophthalmologists eliminate rare occurrences of serious mistakes."

Newsletter

Don’t miss out—get Ophthalmology Times updates on the latest clinical advancements and expert interviews, straight to your inbox.

Related Videos
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) FLIO and the brain: Making the invisible visible with Robert Sergott, MD
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) Structure-function correlates using high-res OCT images with Karl Csaky, MD, PhD
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) SriniVas Sadda, MD, on high-res OCT of atrophic and precursor lesions in AMD
(Image credit: Ophthalmology Times) Christine Curcio, PhD, shares histology update supporting review software and revised nomenclature for <3 μm OCT
1 expert is featured in this series.
1 expert is featured in this series.
1 expert is featured in this series.
1 expert is featured in this series.
Steven R. Sarkisian, Jr., MD, ABO, speaks about glaucoma at the 2025 ASCRS annual meeting
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.