Expanding Access to 3D Technology in Plastic Surgery of the Breast: Validation of the iPhone Against the Vectra H2

Hayeem L Rudy; Yi-Hsueh Lu; Evan Rothchild; Oren M Tepper; Katie Weichman

doi:10.1093/asj/sjae170

Expanding Access to 3D Technology in Plastic Surgery of the Breast: Validation of the iPhone Against the Vectra H2

Aesthet Surg J. 2024 Aug 19:sjae170. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjae170. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Hayeem L Rudy¹, Yi-Hsueh Lu¹, Evan Rothchild², Oren M Tepper¹, Katie Weichman³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
² Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
³ Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.

PMID: 39158162
DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjae170

Abstract

Background: The iPhone (Apple Inc, Cupertino, California) contains a high-fidelity 3D-scanner and is widely distributed in the United States. Presently, 3D analysis of the breast necessitates ownership of cost-prohibitive cameras and software packages such as the Vectra system.

Objectives: We compared the accuracy of 3D photos of the breast obtained with the iPhone X 3D scanner against the Canfield Vectra H2 (Canfield Scientific Inc. Parsippany, NJ) in an effort to expand access to 3D technology in plastic surgery.

Methods: Twenty breasts (n=20) were 3D-photographed with iPhone X and the Vectra H2 and compared with color map analysis and by measuring distances across the model between key anatomical landmarks. These distances included sternal notch to nipple (SN-N), mid-chest to nipple (M-N), nipple to mid-inframammary fold (N-IMF), and inframammary fold width (IMF). Statistical tests included the Bland-Altman Plot analysis.

Results: When comparing absolute differences in distances between key anatomical landmarks, the average discrepancy in measurements between iPhone and Vectra image pairs were the following: SN-N: 0.94mm, M-N: 0.70mm, N-IMF 0.81mm, and IMF 0.96mm. Colormap analysis demonstrated an average error of 1.53mm, mean of 0.53mm, and standard deviation of ±1.81mm. Bland-Altman Plot revealed a mean difference of 0.13mm and an agreement interval between -1.90 and 2.17mm.

Conclusions: The iPhone is capable of capturing 3D-photographs with a high level of fidelity when compared to Vectra. 3D-scans obtained with the iPhone may be useful for planning nipple position, measuring the breast footprint, choosing implants, and performing other functions using 3D technology that are typically performed using the more expensive systems.

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Aesthetic Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact [email protected].