Three-Dimensional Printing in Rhinoplasty

Overview

Rhinoplasty is described by the authors as among the most challenging procedures in plastic surgery, in part because the plan must be carried accurately from the consultation into the operating room. This article introduces printing the patient's own 3D photographic data as a physical model and describes the authors' experience with it.

Sections of note

• The input is three-dimensional photographic imaging of the patient.
• The output is a three-dimensionally printed, patient-specific, life-size model.
• Two stated uses: preoperative counseling with the patient, and intraoperative reference during surgery.
• The article describes the authors' own experience with the application.
• 3D printing is characterized as a technology gaining widespread use with prospective clinical and research applications in aesthetic surgery.
• The abstract reports no patient numbers, accuracy measurements, costs, satisfaction data, or outcomes.

What it means for a patient

• A physical model of your face can be produced from photographs alone, without a CT scan.
• The same model serves both to discuss the plan beforehand and to check against during surgery.
• This is an introductory description of the authors' experience, with no measured results.
• It does not show that models improve either communication or the surgical outcome.

Why this paper matters

Two things repeatedly go wrong in rhinoplasty: expectations set at consultation, and transferring a plan into the operating room. A physical model addresses both. Whether it changes results, and whether the cost is justified, is not evaluated here.

Terms

• Three-dimensional photography: Capturing a face as a 3D surface model rather than a flat image.
• Three-dimensional printing: Building a physical object layer by layer from a digital model.
• Patient-specific model: A model built from an individual patient's own imaging.
• Preoperative counseling: The discussion before surgery about what will be done and what to expect.
• Intraoperative reference: Something the surgeon consults during the operation.