Assessment Of The Quality And Educational Value Of Youtube Videos On Pediatric Cataract Surgery

In resource limited settings  hands on training is often lacking for the residents. The educational quality of YouTube videos on pediatric cataract surgery is heterogeneous and frequently lacks essential surgical and patient details, underscoring the need for peer-reviewed benchmarking.

In this paper we aim to evaluate the content accuracy, technical quality, and educational value of the most viewed YouTube videos on pediatric cataract surgery. With increasing reliance on open-access surgical videos for training, especially in resource-limited settings, it is important to assess whether these videos provide comprehensive, reliable, and educationally appropriate information for ophthalmology trainees and young surgeons.

Department of Ophthalmology, Post Graduate Institute of Child Health (PGICH), Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study was conducted as a descriptive analysis of publicly available videos on the YouTube platform without patient interaction or intervention.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. YouTube was searched on 25 December 2025 using the terms (“pediatric” OR “paediatric” OR “child”) AND (“cataract surgery” OR “lensectomy” OR “phacoemulsification”). After applying exclusion criteria (non-English, unrelated, duplicate, animated, general-public–oriented videos), the top 50 most-viewed live surgical videos were analyzed. Data extracted included uploader type, duration, editing status, surgical technique (phaco/IA/vitrectomy/SICS), capsulorrhexis type, mention of biometry, and presence of written or audio commentary. Descriptive statistics were used.

Of the top 50 videos with highest views analyzed, 30 (60%) were uploaded by individuals, 12 (24%) by organizations, and 8 (16%) by online platforms. Video duration ranged from <1 to 21 minutes; 90% were edited recordings. Automated irrigation–aspiration was demonstrated in 90% of cases; 5 videos used vitrectomy-based lens removal and 2 demonstrated SICS. Audio commentary was present in 36% and written commentary in 36%; 44% lacked both. Critical details such as cataract type, IOL power calculation, and under-correction strategy were frequently absent. Educational quality and clarity varied widely.

YouTube hosts a wide range of pediatric cataract surgical videos; however, their educational quality is inconsistent and often incomplete. Important surgical steps and patient-specific details are frequently omitted. The pearls of learning which are for of utmost importance for trainees in Ophthalmology need to be highlighted so as to increase the educational value.While the platform offers accessible supplementary learning material, the absence of peer review limits reliability. Establishing standardized reporting criteria or peer-reviewed benchmarking for surgical video uploads may enhance their educational value and support structured ophthalmic training.