The picture used here to describe the concept of morphing pictures is not a true patient but a web image. The technique shown here is using a popular digital picture manipulation software.
Morphing in Rhinoplasty refers to a technique of manipulating digital photographs of a patient aspiring for a Rhinoplasty surgery.
While most patients have a clear idea of what they are trying to achieve it can be difficult to accurately convey this to their surgeon. In other patients the ultimate rhinoplasty goal is less clear cut when they first arrive for their consultation. These patients know something is not quite right but they are relying on the Surgeons expertise to achieve a satisfactory result. For the surgeon, on the other hand, it is vital that the patients likes, dislikes and goals are fully understood.
Specialist Rhinoplasty surgeons use many tools to achieve that precise understanding of goals with their patients. Communication between the patient and the surgeon is a critical component to successful rhinoplasty surgery. Digital Morphing is a very powerful tool to arrive at the common ground.
What is required
1. TIME. Your surgeon should have the time and inclination to perform this himself because only your surgeon knows if he can achieve the result they are displaying.
2. COMPUTER AND PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERTISE. The Surgeon must have the expertise to convert their knowledge of Rhinoplasty surgery and its outcomes onto the screen with reasonable precision.
3. REALISTIC DEPICTION. The changes must be kept conservative to give an idea that is reproducible in most cases.
4. PATIENT UNDERSTANDING. It must be explained very clearly that the modified pictures are used as a guide and are not a promise of the outcome.
In our clinic the surgeon Mr Shandilya performs clinical photography and Digital Morphing himself in every single case. Consistency and experience of photographically recording the right angles every time and achieving consistent results in surgery makes the whole process very valuable.
Received Invitation to Lecture at ESPO (European Society of Paediatric Otolaryngology, 2014 – Rhinoplasty in young patients)
