Computerized imaging has been introduced in Plastic Surgery to help the communication between the doctor and the patient. It is supposed to help the patient to understand the doctor’s suggestions which have to be expressed by him on the patient’s picture.
It is mostly used for nose imaging. The simplest way to show the patient the possible target of a procedure was always the imitation of the result by the doctor’s hands. Almost all the body can be modified by hands, but the nose cannot be formed, cannot be shortened and shown; therefore, doctors need an instrument to make it possible.
It is very important to make clear that the computer gives no suggestions and no solutions, however it is the doctor who paints the patients picture. The impression of common people that the computer creates the perfect or the ideal picture by using the cleverest scientific data is wrong. The computer creates nothing.
For the following reasons we decided from the beginning not to use the computerized imaging in our practice.
- As noted above, the computer gives no suggestions and no solutions.
- Every patient knows what they look like in the mirror, however the mirror image is not real but actually a reflection of the real appearance. This reflection shows our left side as the right one, and on the contrary. And here is the first big problem of communication between doctor and patient. How can they talk about the problems, and create new appearance on a photograph, while the patient is considering his problems in the mirror?
- While standing in front of the camera many people are changing their appearance. With the photogenic changes it is almost impossible to modify the image in a way to create a nice and pleasant one.
If doctor and patient come to some agreement regarding the computerized image, the patient reasonably has the right to ask for one printed copy and the doctor should have no reason to decline. Could their relationship suffer following surgery? The patient may come back with the picture in one hand and the mirror in the other, embarrassed and complaining that the result is not what was agreed between them as he doesn’t realize the differences between the mirror image and the photograph.
In the best way the doctor has to make another one picture for the purpose to help the patient and convince him that the result of the operation is what was expected and agreed. Instead of solving the problem, he will fail completely, because a picture cannot be taken from the same distance as before, with the same zoom, having the same position and the same expression of the patient.
- Also, the time taken in computerized imaging may increase the patient’s expenses.
- The computerized imaging is a demanding procedure which may help mostly for the doctor’s marketing and much less for the effectiveness of his work.
- The majority of our patients can confirm that we do need it neither for our marketing nor for the effectiveness of our work.