Three Basic Steps for Applying Digital Images to Oral and Facial Surgery

In this paper, the authors discuss three basic steps related to the application of digital technology to reconstructive oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS), in an effort to improve surgical outcomes. These steps include acquiring digital images, processing images in order to build three-dimentional structures, and mapping images to patient anatomy for guided surgery. For each step mentionioned, available technologies and barriers that need to be overcome are discussed. Digital technology is still under development and it has begun to merge into surgical care. Surgeons and computer scientists are required to work together to find solutions when facing such challenges. Keywords: 3D reconstruction, digital images, image-guided surgery, image segmentation, oral and maxillofacial surgery, surgical innovation