A study of differences in eye tracking and gaze patterns of three different surgical incision scars for nipple-sparing mastectomy on immediate postoperative aesthetics of breast reconstruction

The prevalence of breast cancer has been increasing globally, with a notable impact on women’s health. To address the aesthetic outcomes of different surgical incision scars following nipple-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer, this study employed eye-tracking technology for the objective recording of observation patterns. The impact of 3 distinct scar types (transverse, discontinuous, and contiguous) on breast-viewing behavior was analyzed in total. The researchers requested that participants view images of breasts with these scars and subsequently rate the visibility of the scars on a visual analog scale. The results were then collected and analyzed. The findings indicated that contiguous scars were observed for the longest duration and were perceived as the most obvious. They were considered the least aesthetically pleasing, likely due to their proximity to and partial intersection with the nipple-areola complex (NAC). In contrast, discontinuous scars were associated with shorter gaze durations and were considered more aesthetically pleasing. These findings indicate that the selection of surgical incisions is of significant importance with regard to postoperative breast aesthetics. Furthermore, they suggest that the avoidance of the NAC area may facilitate superior aesthetic outcomes. Moreover, the present study did not find a significant effect of breast size and gender on the assessment of postoperative aesthetic outcomes.