My Surgeon Doesn't Do Computer Imaging Should I Be Concerned?

The easy answer here is that you should absolutely not be concerned if your surgeon does not use computer imaging.

There are many changes that can be easily accomplished on a computer, but not so easily accomplished in living human tissue. In this way, computer imaging can set false expectations for the patient about what is truly surgically possible.

I used computer imaging early on in my practice as an excellent communication tool to help understand my patients' goals, particularly with rhinoplasty. However, after almost 20 years in practice, I now have so many examples of real life patient before and after pictures that I prefer to show prospective patients what can be accomplished in real life.

In this way, not only can patients view improvement goals and results of other patients that are similar to them, but they can also get a broad sense of how patients respond to a particular type of surgery. Further, they get a sense of my surgical style and whether or not it suits them.

In my experience, this real-life approach yields a patient who is better informed and whose expectations better match reality...as such, they generally tend to be more satisfied with their results.

Computer imaging is a communication tool that your surgeon uses to show you the possible changes that can be made to your chin. It allows for feedback from you the patient as to your likes and dislikes. If your surgeon prefers to show you the proposed changes through drawing on your pictures, that seems very reasonable. Its the skill of the surgeon and their ability to communicate to you what to expect from the surgery that counts.

3d Computer Imaging is a relatively new technology that is making its way into plastic surgery practices.  Many qualified plastic surgeons have been performing surgeries and getting successful results/happy patients for years.  I use the Vectra 3D imagers as part of my consultation. However, this device does not perform surgery.  It allows the patient and the surgeon to look at a picture and agree that it is the result the patient is looking for and a result the surgeon can achieve. As with any surgery no one can guarantee that the manipulated image will exactly represent the final result. 

As a prospective patient I would be more concerned regarding my surgeon’s qualifications (board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, member in good standing with the ASPS) rather than whether or not an individual has bought a fancy piece of equipment.  The imager is a helpful tool for the consultation but it does not in any way make up for the lack of qualification of poor surgical skills.

My opinion is that computer imaging can give a patient unrealistic expectations since a computer image can make you look great but the ability to do an operation to match the computer image may be impossible. I think too often it is used to sell a procedure to a parient. My book of before and after photos of the surgeries that I have performed is what I like to show people. I hope this helps. Please see a board certified plastic surgeon in your area for consultation.

I have not found computer imaging to be accurate or predictive of what will happen during and after surgery.  Computer imagers move around pixels - surgeons move complex tissues in three dimensions.  There is not comparison.  Some surgeons find computer imaging to be helpful in communicating with the patient the goals of surgery.  This may be useful, but I use drawings.  Computer imaging is not a measure of skill or confidence.  Some use it ...some don't. Although patients are beginning to expect it so I may have to jump on the bandwagon and get an imager!