Eye-Tracking in Facial Plastic Surgery: A Guide to Study Design

Eye-tracking provides an objective measure of how observers direct visual attention to presented stimuli and has become an increasingly valuable tool in facial plastic surgery. It offers unique insight into how facial conditions and surgical interventions impact facial attention. A well-designed eye-tracking study can address patient questions about how others look at their face, identify targets for visual improvement, and objectively assess facial plastic surgery outcomes. Significant variability exists in eye-tracking study design and execution within facial plastic surgery, often producing data that are erroneous, difficult to interpret, or not generalizable to clinical practice. There are currently no guidelines for the design of eye-tracking studies in facial plastic surgery. Furthermore, the technical requirements for facial eye-tracking studies differ from those for non-facial studies. This article aims to synthesize the existing literature and authors' experience to establish basic guidelines for designing eye-tracking studies in facial plastic surgery. We hope this guide will help investigators design high-quality eye-tracking studies to drive meaningful advances in the field of facial plastic surgery.