This article describes the equipment and software used to create facial 3D imaging and discusses the validation and reliability of the objective assessments done using this equipment. By overlaying preoperative and postoperative 3D images, it is possible to assess the surgical changes in 3D. Methods are described to assess the 3D changes from the rhinoplasty techniques of nasal dorsal augmentation, increasing tip projection, narrowing the nose, and nasal lengthening.
Assessment of facial plastic surgery outcomes is predominantly qualitative in the current literature. Results are analyzed by quantifying physician opinion, as well as patient quality of life and satisfaction. Although the surveys used are standardized and validated, the results are still highly subjective.
Emphasis has therefore shifted to a more objective evaluation of outcomes. Facial measurements provide a quantitative assessment of operative results. Originally, these were performed with craniofacial anthropometry, the direct measurement of the patient in the clinical setting using calipers and measuring tape. Because of the time commitment this caused for the patient, direct measurements were replaced by the measurement of photographs, which are quickly obtained and can be archived for analysis without causing any inconvenience to the patient.
Two-dimensional imaging assessment of rhinoplasty techniques in literature
Frontal, lateral, oblique, and base views of the nose are among the standardized images that allow comparison of surgical techniques and results from different surgeons. In the rhinoplasty literature, two-dimensional (2D) photographs have been used to show the effect of cephalic trim, columellar strut, lateral crural steal, and lateral crural overlay on tip rotation and projection. Relative measurements of frontal pictures have also been used to show the change in nasal width after spreader grafts.
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