The Hands are Dumber than the Eyes . . .


Forget the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall. This photo captures a different kind of adrenaline rush – me at the Berber Motor Speedway in Alabama. where I was pushing my limits at the Porsche Sport Driving School. The experience felt a lot like surgical training. 

Each day started with classroom lectures from seasoned race car drivers, followed by practical sessions on the track and specially designed handling and drifting courses, and of course several races. Lunch and dinner provided opportunities to chat and network with fellow drivers and instructors. But the most captivating aspect wasn't the thrill of speed. It was the remarkable parallels between racing a high-performance Porsche and performing vitreoretinal surgery. Of course, the stakes are undeniably higher in surgery, but both activities require similar skills:  critical decision-making, split-second reactions, intricate hand and foot maneuvering, and continuous self-assessment to enhance performance.



One instructor's remark resonated most deeply: "The hands are dumber than the eyes. Wherever the eyes look, the hand (and by extension, the car) will follow." This concept is crucial when taking a curve. Instead of fixating directly in front of the car, drivers must focus on the desired exit point. Where you look is truly where you go.  Fixate too close, and you risk careening off the track. This principle is equally applicable in retinal surgery. Take vitrectomy, a common procedure for retinal detachment. Using a high-speed cutting tool controlled by foot pedals, we remove the vitreous gel within the eye. Similar to navigating a racetrack curve, we need to visualize the surgical "line."  Whether doing a vitrectomy, peeling delicate retinal tissue, or administering a series of laser burns in the eye, seeing that line is paramount. Without it, even the slightest misstep could lead to complications.

The parallels between surgery and high-performance driving extend far beyond these examples, but that's a story for another racetrack adventure!


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