Building a Better Breast Using Eye-Tracking Technology
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Building a better breast with eye-tracking technology
What makes the female breast attractive? The answer is subjective, of course. But studies using eye-tracking technology are providing a more objective basis for determining which breast areas are most attractive - which may help to improve the outcomes of surgery, reports the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(R), the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
The lower breast - especially the nipple and surrounding area - gets the most attention from both men and women, according to the study by Piotr Pietruski, MD, PhD, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Prof. W. Orlowski Memorial Hospital, Warsaw. They write, "Thanks to objective analysis of observer's gaze pattern, eye-tracking technology may provide a better insight into the visual perception of breast esthetics and symmetry."
In the study, 50 male and 50 female observers were asked to assess the aesthetics and symmetry of eight types of female breasts. The images varied in terms of breast size and degree of ptosis (sagging). The researchers used eye-tracking technology to collect data on what parts of the breast image the observers were looking at, and how long they looked at each area.
Although there were some differences based on the sex of the observer and the type of breast, "the key characteristics of gaze patterns in women and men were essentially the same," Dr. Pietruski and colleagues write. The main area of interest was the lower portion of the breast - especially the nipple and surrounding area (nipple-areola complex, or NAC).
[...] "By looking at where a participant's gaze is directed, we can see what their attention is being drawn to--whether it be a scar, a shadow, a fold or a crease," said Rahim Nazerali, MD, co-author of the Stanford University study. "This technology allows us to enhance certain features or disguise parts of the procedure area to provide the patient with the best possible outcome."
Analysis of the Visual Perception of Female Breast Aesthetics and Symmetry, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000006292)
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