Advancing nipple volume measurement using Gaussian splatting: Achieving comparable accuracy to current standards.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Rising breast cancer rates increase demand for nipple reconstruction.
• Accurate nipple volume measurement is crucial for assessing surgical outcomes.
• Existing measurement methods are often imprecise, time-consuming, and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel, non-invasive 3D reconstruction method for nipple volume measurement.
• To compare the accuracy and practicality of Gaussian splatting against traditional and current methods.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 37 reconstructed nipples in 32 female patients.
• Comparison of Gaussian splatting with mold-based water displacement, geometric calculations, Computed Tomography (CT), and Antera 3D®.
• Utilized Gaussian splatting for novel three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction.

Main Results:

• The Gaussian splatting method showed a mean squared error of ±0.128 cc.
• Antera 3D® had a mean squared error of ±0.023 cc, with narrower limits of agreement.
• Bland-Altman analysis confirmed agreement between methods and the reference standard.

Conclusions:

• Gaussian splatting presents an accurate, low-cost, non-contact, and patient-friendly alternative.
• This method addresses limitations of conventional nipple volume assessment techniques.
• Offers a promising advancement in evaluating nipple reconstruction outcomes.