Perspectives on the use of surgical loupes among ophthalmologists in Turkey: A national survey study

PURPOSE: To investigate the use of surgical loupes in the clinical practice of Turkish ophthalmologists and to understand their perspectives on the use of surgical loupes.
METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted between April and May 2024 and comprised 106 ophthalmologists who completed the survey. A link to a questionnaire, in which demographic characteristics as well as loupe usage patterns and perspectives were evaluated, was sent to the members of the Turkish Ophthalmology Association through email, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Google Forms was used to collect survey responses.
RESULTS: 44.5% of participants felt loupes improve surgery, and 45% were undecided. 54.8% found loupes useful for surgical residency training, while only 7.5% disagreed. Nonetheless, only 14% made a purchase. The loupe was mainly used in oculoplastic procedures such as dacryocystorhinostomy (60%), nasolacrimal duct surgeries (66%), and ptosis repair (60%). The most cited benefits were as follows: The magnification of the image (73.6%), the improved recognition of anatomical structures (66%), enhanced visual acuity (30.2%), and improved posture and ergonomics (22.6%). The most common reasons for not purchasing a loupe were lack of need in clinical practice (68%) and high cost-performance ratio (20.9%). While 39 (36.8%) of respondents reported no negative experiences using a loupe, the most common issues cited were discomfort (20.8%), difficulty with adjustments (17.9%), and limited depth perception (12.3%).
CONCLUSION: The loupe is an auxiliary instrument known to be helpful in varying surgeries, including oculoplastic surgery. This study is the first to explore the perspectives on the use of loupes among ophthalmologists in Turkey and to examine the advantages, limitations, and obstacles to their use.

Keywords: Oculoplastic surgery, Ophthalmology, Residency training, Surgical instruments, Surgical loupes, Turkish ophthalmologists