3D Imaging Shows Patients Projected Breast Augmentation Results before Surgery

    TORONTO, ON, July 29, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Breast augmentation is the number one cosmetic surgery procedure for women. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported there were 290,224 breast augmentation procedures performed in 2013. Though the procedure is in high demand, patients want to know how their results will look like in the short and long terms. The Vectra 3D Computer Imaging system fulfills these demands as it allows patients to see how different breast implant shapes and sizes look like on their bodies.

Before the Vectra 3D Computer Imaging System was available, plastic surgeons would have patients put breast implants under their bras or fill plastic baggies with water or rice to place under the bra. These techniques allowed patients to choose ideal implants and to simulate the results of their breast augmentation. However, these crude attempts at simulating breast augment size, shape and overall look would often leave patients poorly prepared for the actual aesthetic impact of the breast augment surgery.

Dr. Mulholland, a Toronto cosmetic surgeon, has been invited to Hong Kong to address an international group of physicians about this new technology at IMCAS Asia. This technology accurately predicts breast size and shape at 12 and 24 months, which dramatically improves the predictability of results and the happiness of patients. Dr. Mulholland will present his research where he conducted long-term analyses of simulated pre-imaged breast size and shape and compare them to images of real breast size and shape after 12 and 24 months.

"In the past, up to 20-30% of women have been somewhat disappointed by the results of their breast augmentation surgery. Most of these women, although happy they had their breast augment surgery performed, were left with a nagging perception that they would have looked better if they had selected a different shape or size breast implant," says Dr. Mulholland.

With the new Vectra 3D Imaging system, the breast augmentation patient can capture pre-operative 3D digital images of their bare breasts and figure in multiple views. With the special Vectra software, the plastic surgeon can walk the patient through all steps of the actual breast augmentation surgery and show them different implant sizes and shapes.

"I have been studying the results of pre-operative 3D computer breast simulation for several years. By comparing the actual breast contour and shape at one and two years post-operatively with the pre-operative simulated images, I have found that the pre-operative imaged breast comes very close to matching the long-term post-operative shape over 94% of the time," says Dr. Mulholland.

Breast augmentation patients are now much happier with the shape and size of the breast implant they select. "The happiness indexes are approaching 100%," says Dr. Mulholland. Considering the improved ability to predict results and overall patient satisfaction, Dr. Mulholland believes pre-operative 3D imaging and simulated breast surgery is absolutely essential to modern breast augmentation surgery outcomes and success.

Dr. Mulholland is a breast augmentation specialist who has been teaching advanced plastic surgery procedures to physicians since 1997 in workshops throughout the United States, Canada and internationally. Dr. Mulholland, explains the nature of the problems and solutions in plastic surgery with new and exciting emerging technologies, like the Vectra 3D Breast imaging.

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