The Future of Visual Documentation? Assessing the Use of Videography in Facial Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Background: Recent technological advancements in the field of portable electronics have facilitated the use of videography as a form of visual documentation in facial plastic surgery. Currently, the degree of video adoption and perceptions relating to its use in plastic surgery are not known. Objective: To evaluate the current use, perceptions, and barriers regarding the adoption of video in the clinical practice of facial plastic surgery. Methods: A cross-sectional study of all AAFPRS members was conducted through an email-disseminated 24-item online survey. Results: A total of 164 surgeons responded to the survey. Nearly all of surgeons reported routinely employing photography for the documentation and marketing of surgical results. Fewer than 25% of respondents acknowledged using video to document surgical outcomes. Younger surgeons (< 10 years in practice) and those in academic practices were significantly more likely to adopt videography (32% vs 17%, p = 0.042 and 38% vs 18%, p = 0.027, respectively). Most surgeons regarded video as the superior visual documentation format for dynamic facial expression and as more difficult to deceptively manipulate. Most frequently cited barriers to adoption included time-consuming capture, file editing/storage requirements, and lack of clear standards. Conclusions: Videography holds favorable potential as the future format of visual documentation in facial plastic surgery due to its ability to capture the full range of dynamic facial expression. Establishing standards and setup guidelines for video capture will be essential in increasing its adoption.

#TheUglyTruth? A Qualitative Evaluation of Outcomes Photography on Instagram: Introducing the SEPIA Scoring System

“…Although videography, with its ability to capture the dynamic motions of facial expression, is slated to eventually become the standard form of visual documentation in plastic surgery, less than 10% of surgeons report the routine use of video, citing barriers such as the lack of standards and time-consuming process. 38 Second, though the SEPIA score demonstrated a favorable overall degree of interrater reliability, weaker agreement in the categories of lighting, makeup, and procedure description suggests that additional enhancements could be made in the future by further strengthening the rating guidelines for these components. Finally, though the SEPIA scoring system uses well-known standards of photography, the grading scale may benefit from additional external validation studies correlating SEPIA grades to surgeon perceptions of BAP quality.…”