The Evolution of Photography and Three-Dimensional Imaging in Plastic Surgery.

Abstract

We read with extreme interest the article by Weissler et al, entitled “The Evolution of Photography and Three-Dimensional Imaging in Plastic Surgery” published in the March of 2017 issue of the Journal.1 We congratulate the authors for this ambitious undertaking, which presents a historical review of the fascinating progress made in photography in plastic surgery and highlights the clinical utility of three-dimensional imaging in our practice. As observed in the article, this technology appears to be the most appropriate to provide an objective evaluation of outcomes, especially when a volume change is included as a primary goal of the operation. The implications for procedures such as fat grafting are certainly remarkable, as a volumetric and morphologic analysis demonstrating true surface dimensions both preoperatively and postoperatively becomes available. Among the many, one of those implications refers to clinical studies reporting or comparing fat graft survival achieved using different techniques, which in the future will require documentation with objective measures of the recipient-site volume at the baseline and at postoperative follow-up visits.