Ocean Clinic, Marbella, Spain.
Department for Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2024 Feb;48(3):250-258. doi: 10.1007/s00266-023-03689-1. Epub 2023 Oct 18.
Given that scars are acknowledged as the primary cause of postoperative dissatisfaction following reduction mammoplasty, it is imperative to comprehend the patient's visual perception of different scar patterns in order to enhance patient satisfaction. To achieve this, eye-tracking technology provides an unbiased method of evaluating how observers assess breast scars.
58 participants (32 females and 26 males) between the ages of 19 and 82 years (mean age of 29.47 ± 10.98 years) were shown 18 color photographs, taken at 3 viewing angles (right 45° oblique, frontal and frontal view with arms raised), from 6 patients undergone reduction mammoplasty with the inverted T-scar technique (3 patients) or no-vertical-scar technique (3 patients). The images were presented to every participant for a fixed duration of 5 s each. Eye-tracking device was used to collect and analyze the gaze data of viewers.
The nipple-areola complex (NAC) and the periareolar scar captured observers' gaze faster, had longer duration and more count of eye fixation than all other parts of breast scars, regardless of the viewing angle and scar pattern. Moreover, the scar region in the inverted T-scar pattern received greater and faster visual attraction of observer's gaze than the no-vertical-scar pattern.
The NAC and the periareolar scar seem to be perceived as the most important regions for breast aesthetics. The findings can be helpful to assist plastic surgeons in determining the most appropriate technique for reduction mammoplasty, meanwhile underlining the importance of a fine periareolar scar and symmetric NAC for excellent aesthetic outcomes. This is to our best knowledge the first study using eye-tracking technology in evaluating reduction mammoplasty outcomes. This study explored the influence of different scar patterns after reduction mammoplasty on eye movements and gaze patterns among observers. The study have validated the significance of the NAC and the periareolar scar for breast aesthetics and revealed that the scar region in the inverted T-scar pattern may be judged less visually attractive than the no-vertical-scar pattern.
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鉴于疤痕被认为是缩胸术后不满意的主要原因，了解患者对不同疤痕模式的视觉感知对于提高患者满意度至关重要。为了实现这一目标，眼动追踪技术为评估观察者如何评估乳房疤痕提供了一种客观的方法。
共纳入 58 名参与者（女性 32 名，男性 26 名；年龄 19 至 82 岁，平均年龄 29.47±10.98 岁），他们观看了 6 名接受过倒 T 形疤痕技术（3 名患者）或无垂直疤痕技术（3 名患者）的缩胸术患者的 18 张彩色照片，这些照片分别在右 45°斜位、正面和正面抬臂 3 个视角拍摄。每位参与者观看每张图片的固定时长为 5 秒。使用眼动追踪设备收集和分析观察者的注视数据。
乳头乳晕复合体（NAC）和乳晕周围疤痕比乳房疤痕的其他任何部位都更快地吸引观察者的目光，持续时间更长，注视次数更多，而与观察角度和疤痕模式无关。此外，与无垂直疤痕模式相比，倒 T 形疤痕区域吸引了更多更快的观察者注视。
NAC 和乳晕周围疤痕似乎是乳房美学中最重要的区域。研究结果有助于帮助整形外科医生确定缩胸术最适合的技术，同时强调乳晕周围精细疤痕和对称的 NAC 对获得良好美学效果的重要性。这是我们所知的首次使用眼动追踪技术评估缩胸术结果的研究。本研究探讨了缩胸术后不同疤痕模式对观察者眼动和注视模式的影响。该研究验证了 NAC 和乳晕周围疤痕对乳房美学的重要性，并揭示了倒 T 形疤痕区域的疤痕可能比无垂直疤痕模式的疤痕在视觉上吸引力更小。
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