Scientists have used the technique of “eye tracking” (monitoring of gaze movements) to collect data on the aesthetic criteria to be respected in breast reconstruction.
A new study could help improve the results of cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery. Scientists have used eye-tracking technology to identify the part of the breast that men and women look at the most.
The authors of this study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery recruited 50 women and 50 men. They asked participants to review images of eight types of female breasts and consider their aesthetics and symmetry. The breasts featured were of varying cup sizes, and levels of sag too.
An eye-tracking device was used to track which part of the breasts was watched the most, and for how long. To avoid bias, participants were not informed that their eye movements were being recorded until after they had completed the exercise.
The lower breast and nipple are the most watched parts
Although there were some differences related to the sex of the observer and the type of breast, the results showed that the volunteers were more likely to look at the lower breast and the nipple, for a longer period of time. The researchers hope their work could lead to better outcomes in reconstructive and plastic surgery.
“The opinions of healthcare professionals and patients regarding the attractiveness of breasts are often very different. This means that there is no standardized method to analyze the results of cosmetic and breast surgery after the operation”, explains the co-author of the study, doctor Piotr Pietruski, professor in the department of plastic surgery and reconstruction of the W. Orlowski Memorial Hospital, Poland.
Eye movement does not reveal a viewer’s opinion of the breast
“It may seem obvious that a patient’s opinion should always matter most, but their subjective perception of the outcome could be influenced by many factors, including negative experience with medical treatment, adds Piotr Pietruski . Eye-tracking technology enables quantitative analysis of observers’ visual perception of specific stimuli, such as understanding breast aesthetics and symmetry. Data such as initial fixation points or gaze duration on a specific region expand our knowledge of this process.”
“We believe that eye-tracking technology could help researchers create a reliable universal method for assessing breast attractiveness,” emphasizes Piotr Pietruski, acknowledging, however, that eye movement does not reveal the opinion of a person. spectator on the breast.
“Because of its preliminary nature, our study included a relatively small group of raters with the same cultural background. In order to have a significant impact on the field of plastic surgery, eye tracking technology requires a large amount of data for analysis and comparison. This would involve more studies involving a larger number of people spanning different cultures,” the study authors state.
.
