| A computer imaging system for use in plastic surgery consists, basically, of a device to capture a digital photo of a patient and then input it into a computer where it can be electronically altered. It is not at all uncommon to see plastic surgery yellow page ads proclaiming the likes of "Preview Your New Face -- Free Computer Imaging."
Such services are also available on-line for a fee. One company will even come out to your house.
And so the question becomes: Is computer imaging a useful communications tool or just another marketing gimmick?
Any eyelid surgeon who has been around long enough has run into the following scenario: You're half way through a consultation with a patient whose anatomy makes him or her a challenging and less than ideal candidate for surgery. You're doing your best to explain the limitations and risks of a particular procedure.
Suddenly, the patient stops you, reaches into a briefcase, and proudly presents a printout of a digitized image of his or her face with perfect "new" eyelids befitting a twenty-year-old.
You discover that the preview comes compliments of a competitor down the street, a plastic surgeon whose primary experience is with breast surgery.
You take a look at the picture and aren't sure whether to laugh or get mad.
Why? Because . . . |
