More and more people who are interested in plastic surgery are discovering the power of digital imaging. Patients watch on screen as they are guided from their current appearance to a representative post-operative outcome. Plastic surgery patients who see a simulation are better informed—having seen what is surgically feasible and what is not.

Southern California plastic surgeon, Dr. Teitelbaum uses the Mirror imaging system, the most comprehensive patient imaging software available. Dr. Teitelbaum finds this to be most helpful in areas that are easy to visualize in two dimensions, such as a bulge in the outer thighs, a bump on a nose, or a small chin. It is less helpful when used on such things as the eyes, or in highly volumetric situations such as the breast, in which no two-dimensional alteration on a flat computer screen really shows what the three-dimensional change will be like.

With rare exception, the imaging program will not show you what you will really look like. Rather, it gives the patient a chance to see how changing one thing will affect another. For instance, adding a small chin implant can make a big appearing nose look smaller, and removing fat from the outer thigh can make the waist look wider. It is a very helpful device if it is incorporated into the consultation, but on its own it is of limited value. So I do not give patients copies of morphed images, as it would be misleading to look at them and expect that particular result - it is a guide for discussion. It is helpful in noticing asymmetries, in pointing out areas that are bothering a patient that they may not necessarily see when looking in the mirror, and in determining the direction of an operation.

The imaging system is an educational tool for the sole purpose of communicating with patients and no warranty is expressed or implied by its use.