The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence Tools for Outcome Measurement in Facial Reanimation Surgery: A Review.

Abstract

Importance: Surgeons treating facial paralysis with reanimation surgery measure the outcomes of surgery and adjust treatment to each patient's needs. Our objective is to review the current subjective facial paralysis assessment tools and the emerging computer-based objective analysis, which may involve artificial intelligence. Observations: In recent years, many new automated approaches to outcome measurement in facial reanimation surgery have been developed. Most of these tools utilize artificial intelligence to analyze emotional expression and symmetry of facial landmarks. Other tools have provided automated approaches to existing clinician-guided scales. Conclusions: Newly developed computer-based tools using artificial intelligence have been developed to both improve existing clinician-graded scales and provide new approaches to facial symmetry and emotional expressivity analysis.