Aiding Rhinoplasty Surgeons with 3D Imaging and a Rule-Based Adjustment Algorithm

Rhinoplasty surgery is considered one of the most complex cosmetic surgeries because of its uncertainty. Therefore, plastic surgeons need to use modern-day technology to aid them in conducting such a procedure. The recent advances in 3-D imaging and software-aided tools present invaluable opportunities for rhinoplasty. In this paper, we will explain how the combination of using an algorithm and 3D imaging tool is helpful in the preoperative stage of a rhinoplasty procedure. We present a rule-based adjustment algorithm that utilizes 3D facial models to assist rhinoplasty surgeons. Our system uses an existing web application that gives us the database of people that act as viable patients. This data helps show the algorithm's general usage paired with the 3D modeling tool. The system assists surgeons by giving them the difference in measurements needed to change the patient's nose and aid the patients in visualizing what they will look like after those said measurements. The system outputs numeric values that will assist the surgeon in the rhinoplasty procedure, and it will also output the 3D model of the patient's face where the points of the new nose exist on the model. We ran the algorithm for all patients in the database and calculated the differences; the 3D modeling software makes it simple to visualize the reliable, quantified suggestions of the system.