3-D Imaging Helps Orange County Eyelid Surgery Specialist in Research

Dr. Timothy R. Miller, M.D., a leading facial plastic surgeon in Orange County, used 3-D imaging for lower eyelid surgery research published in a prestigious journal.

Aliso Viejo, California (February 2016) — Dr. Timothy R. Miller, M.D., a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Orange County, says using advanced 3-D imaging technology in recent research helped him to draw some important conclusions about a certain fat repositioning technique in lower eyelid surgery.

"Prior to 3-dimensional imaging, evaluation of the effectiveness of the fat repositioning lower blepharoplasty technique was difficult to quantify," Dr. Miller wrote in a study published this month by JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. "Specifically, standard photography relied on shadows and tight camera angles to illustrate qualitative results."

Lower blepharoplasty is perennially one of the most popular procedures among Dr. Miller's Orange County patients, he says.

"The popularity is understandable considering just how much this small area of the face can influence a person's entire appearance," Dr. Miller says. "Common complaints include eyes looking tired, sad, or simply old. Lost volume, excess skin, and bags under the eyes may all contribute to this appearance."

Dr. Miller recently researched the effectiveness of repositioning fat below the eyes to rejuvenate their appearance, rather than performing fat grafting or combining the 2 techniques, which are other common approaches. He used 3-D imaging to measure how effectively the fat repositioning technique improved the tear trough and the lower eyelid-upper cheek area, and he found strong results.

Dr. Miller, who also specializes in facelift and rhinoplasty surgeries, among other facial treatments, at Refreshed Aesthetic Surgery in Orange County, says another study of using fillers to augment the lower eyelid area also demonstrated the effectiveness of 3-D imaging.

"It enables surgeons to quantify the results we achieve in a much more measurable way," he says, "which is especially helpful for research purposes. In addition, on the practical side, we can show our patients their results in a way that is not possible using standard 2-D photography."

An earlier study that appeared in a journal published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons® also noted that 3-D imaging can help improve the results of facial plastic surgery.

"Three-dimensional dynamic imaging techniques may help researchers to better understand 'the multidimensional attributes of the aging face,'" the ASPS study said.

Dr. Miller agrees: "As a specialist whose practice is exclusively focused on aesthetic surgery and treatments for the face and neck, I want to provide my patients access to proven, advanced techniques. Using 3-D imaging helps my patients, it helps me as a surgeon and a researcher, and it's simply an excellent technique that helps the field in many ways."

Learn more about eyelid surgery and Dr. Miller's approach by requesting a consultation online or calling Refreshed Aesthetic Surgery at 949-482-1752.