Abstract
Most Asians have a nose with a short columella and a low dorsum; augmentation rhinoplasty
using implants is commonly performed in Asian countries to achieve a taller and more
well-defined nasal dorsum. However, the current knowledge is insufficient to fully
understand the various subjective desires of patients, reflect on them during surgery,
or to objectively analyze the results after surgery. Advances in digital imaging technologies,
such as 3D printing and 3D scanning, have transformed the medical system from hospital-centric
to patient-centric throughout the medical field. In this study, we applied these techniques
to rhinoplasty. First, we used virtual 3D plastic surgery software to enable surgical
planning through objectified numerical calculations based on the visualized data of
the patient's medical images rather than simple virtual plastic surgery. Second, the
customized nasal implant was manufactured by reflecting the patient's anatomical shape
and virtual 3D plastic surgery data. Taken together, we describe the surgical results
of applying these rhinoplasty solutions in four patients. Our experience indicates
that high fidelity and patient satisfaction can be achieved by applying these techniques.
Keywords
rhinoplasty - virtual 3D plastic surgery software - customized nasal implant - 3D
printing - artificial intelligence
