Can a 3D Scan from another clinic be used for rhinoplasty?

Question

I live in Switzerland and want to do rhinoplasty in Turkey. I would like to have a 3D model of the nose before travelling to Turkey. Is it possible to do the Vectra 3D scan in Zurich or Karlsruhe and then do the surgery in Turkey? Would it be possible for me to modify the 3D model myself or can this only be done by a surgeon?

Mert Demirel, MD · Answer

Yes, in many cases a 3D scan from another clinic can be helpful for discussion and preliminary planning, but it should not replace an in-person examination by the surgeon who will operate on you.
For rhinoplasty, 3D imaging is useful for communication: it helps show your current shape, discuss possible changes, and understand your aesthetic goals. However, it does not fully show skin thickness, cartilage strength, breathing problems, septal deviation, scar tissue, or the real surgical limitations. Those factors can only be evaluated properly during examination.
Whether a Vectra scan from Zurich or Karlsruhe can be used in Turkey depends on file compatibility and whether the Turkish clinic can open and work with that specific format. Some systems are not easily transferable between clinics, so this should be checked before paying for the scan.
In general, the surgeon or clinic team should guide the simulation. You can express what you like and dislike, but self-modifying the model can be misleading because a visually attractive simulation may not be surgically realistic. The best use of 3D imaging is as a communication tool, not as a guaranteed surgical result.
So yes, it may be useful to have the scan before travelling, but the final plan should be made with your rhinoplasty surgeon after proper examination and realistic surgical analysis.

Semih Yildiz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

Compatibility varies between clinics. A scan made elsewhere might be useful if your surgeon in Turkey confirms in advance that the original Vectra data can be exported and imported into the clinic system. Some centers may provide only screenshots or a proprietary consultation file, so a new scan could still be needed. Ask the operating surgeon which file format, views, calibration data, and release forms the clinic accepts before paying for the scan. Surgical morphing is generally best created or supervised by the treating surgeon because it needs to reflect an examination of your anatomy, skin thickness, airway, and cartilage support. You can communicate preferences and review different versions, but a patient-edited model would be a visual preference rather than a surgical plan. A remote 3D image also does not replace standardized photographs, an in-person facial and intranasal examination, or a discussion of breathing. Vectra morphing is mainly a communication tool, and the surgical result can differ from the simulation. A video consultation before travel can clarify data transfer, privacy consent, and whether the surgeon expects to repeat the scan after you arrive.

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. I highly recommend that my patients focus much more on real longterm before and after photographs rather than 3D imaging.   I encounter so many patients in my practice who see me for revision rhinoplasty who previously had surgery elsewhere who feel like they were mislead into surgery by surgeons who relied heavily on 3D imaging without adequate real before and after pictures to back it up.  Photoshop is easy but real surgery is very different.

I always recommend that you carefully evaluate your surgeon’s online before and after gallery on their website for both quality and quantity of results. Make sure that there are hundreds of real before and after pictures which demonstrate long-term follow up results with standardized lighting and standardized background. If your surgeon is posting mostly on-table results without real long-term follow up results, that is usually a major red flag.  If a surgeon is posting mostly just splint removal day videos without longterm follow-up pictures, or all patient selfie’s without real longterm in-office formal pictures that can also be a red flag.   Long-term results are much more meaningful than on table results or 1 week post-op results. Selfie’s can also be fun to look at, but these can often have a filter and do not represent true longterm results because of this and are not as valuable as real longterm in-office before and after photographs on your surgeon’s website with standardized lighting and standardized backgrounds.   I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified rhinoplasty surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Kadir Berat Oyur, MD · Answer

We have reviewed your question. A 3D scan can be helpful for discussion, but final surgical planning should be performed by your operating surgeon during an in-person consultation.

Can a 3D Scan from another clinic be used for rhinoplasty?

Answers (4)

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