Computer planning for breast reconstruction by tissue expansion: an update

The use of the computer as an aid in surgery has gained increasing popularity during the past 10 years. In the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery, computer-based preoperative planning has proved useful for a variety of procedures, ranging from rhinoplasty to reconstruction of posttraumatic or congenital deformities. In this article, we present and analyze a computer program aimed at helping the surgeon select the proper tissue expander in planning breast reconstruction. The computer program was developed to calculate the volume of the final implant needed to match the contralateral breast. In our opinion, although this software is not aimed at replacing clinical judgment based on experience and careful observation, it is a simple and useful adjunct for the inexperienced surgeon planning to perform tissue expansion for soft-tissue reconstructions. However, it has to be stressed that, in clinical practice, several variables may decrease the effectiveness of the expansion process, thus requiring some adjustments to the preoperative evaluations.