A Computational Tool for Pre-operative Breast Augmentation Planning in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Joachim Georgii3, Maximilian Eder2, Kai Bürger1, Sebastian Klotz, Florian Ferstl1,
Laszlo Kovacsand Rüdiger Westermann1

1 Department of Computer Science, Technische Universität München, Germany
2 Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, Technische Universität München, Germany
3 Fraunhofer MEVIS, Institute for Medical Image Computing, Bremen, Germany

Abstract

Breast augmentation was the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedure in 2011 in the United States. Although aesthetically pleasing surgical results can only be achieved if the correct breast implant is selected from a large variety of different prosthesis sizes and shapes available on the market, surgeons still rely on visual assessment and other subjective approaches for operative planning because of lacking objective evaluation tools. In this paper we present the development of a software prototype for augmentation mammaplasty simulation solely based on 3D surface scans, from which patient-specific finite element models are generated in a semi-automatic process. The finite element model is used to pre-operatively simulate the expected breast shapes using physical soft tissue mechanics. Our Approach uses a novel mechanism based on so-called displacement templates, which, for a specific implant shape and position, describe the respective internal body forces. Due to a highly efficient numerical solver we can provide immediate visual feedback of the simulation results, and thus the software prototype can be integrated smoothly into the medical workflow. The clinical value of the developed 3D computational tool for aesthetic breast augmentation surgery planning is demonstrated in patientspecific use cases.

Associated publications

A Computational Tool for Pre-operative Breast Augmentation Planning in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Joachim Georgii, Maximilian Eder, Kai Bürger, Sebastian Klotz, Florian Ferstl, Laszlo Kovacs and Rüdiger Westermann, IEEE Journal of Biomedical And Health Informatics, 18(3):907-19 [PDF]