How Well Do Facial Morphometic Analyses Translate To Surgical Results?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have done some mathematical measurements on my face and I wonder how achievable these facial changes.

A:The purpose of the imaging is to determine the patient’s goals…to set the target for which the surgery, which may include custom facial implant designs, can try to achieve.  It is the patient who determines these targets, not me. In essence facial imaging is a visual discussion board so the patient can tell me what looks good to them.

While your Facial Morphometic analysis  is very specific and scientific, surgery is not. Surgery is more of an art for which millimeter level changes can not be accurately predicted and often not precisely achieved. While Facial Morphometric analyses is an educational mathematical exercise, and it has its merits, I would be cautious in trying to extrapolate that degree of precision to real life surgical procedure outcomes. How to tissues respond to surgical manipulations is not a completely predictable outcome.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon