dont do the staples!!!!!

[justme051]

went to have my staples removed today (8 days post op) and it was the most painful experience of my life!! i actually had them stop after removing 12 of the 32 staples because i got a migrane that about exploded my head. will not go back until they allow me to be put under for the procedure. the problem is that the blood crusted over my staples before i got home from surgery and they had to dig out the scab first to find the staples and then my excess hair was dried up in the scab. they would pull out 4 or 5 hairs with each staple. the ones near my temples felt like a torch burning me when coming out. try pulling out about 4 hairs just above your ears!!! moral of story....insist on stitches or make damn sure you keep area very clean from the moment of surgery on!! trust me here, i'm a tough little pony but that shit was inhumane!

[justme051]

went to have my staples removed today (8 days post op) and it was the most painful experience of my life!! i actually had them stop after removing 12 of the 32 staples because i got a migrane that about exploded my head. will not go back until they allow me to be put under for the procedure. the problem is that the blood crusted over my staples before i got home from surgery and they had to dig out the scab first to find the staples and then my excess hair was dried up in the scab. they would pull out 4 or 5 hairs with each staple. the ones near my temples felt like a torch burning me when coming out. try pulling out about 4 hairs just above your ears!!! moral of story....insist on stitches or make damn sure you keep area very clean from the moment of surgery on!! trust me here, i'm a tough little pony but that shit was inhumane!

[irish homer]

Try soaking your head in warm water just before the removel to soften the area. If you can you could also try rubbing the area to make sure the dried blood is gone from your scar area.

IH

[Bushy]

Originally posted by justme051:

went to have my staples removed today (8 days post op) and it was the most painful experience of my life!! i actually had them stop after removing 12 of the 32 staples because i got a migrane that about exploded my head. will not go back until they allow me to be put under for the procedure. the problem is that the blood crusted over my staples before i got home from surgery and they had to dig out the scab first to find the staples and then my excess hair was dried up in the scab. they would pull out 4 or 5 hairs with each staple. the ones near my temples felt like a torch burning me when coming out. try pulling out about 4 hairs just above your ears!!! moral of story....insist on stitches or make damn sure you keep area very clean from the moment of surgery on!! trust me here, i'm a tough little pony but that shit was inhumane!

 

Damn, I'm sorry you had to experience that. I, too, had this horrid fate after my first HT. It's amazing how much pain a little bit of reading could have saved you. All it takes, as Irish Homer mentioned, is soaking the head for 15 minutes or so before removing the staples. A soaked, hot towel can do the trick, too. Another option is to put Bacitracin (or some other appropriate ointment) on the staples about an hour before removal. Voil??? . The staple removal after my second HT was the easiest thing I ever experienced: Not a drop of blood and not even as much as a tingle of pain.

[the B spot]

Very Good Advice Guys!!!!!

 

You MUST wash your donor area EVERY DAY, using a back and forth motion.

 

This will help loosen your scabs.

 

In addition, the use of Neosporin or Bacitracin will keep the area soft as well.

 

I would not use any other method but staples for this type of surgery

 

Take Care,

J

[Bill - Seemiller]

justme,

 

I found that some staples were easy to remove and others were very painful. All and all, I agree...the experience is more painful. But, thankfully it's only a blip of life that we have to deal with them, and then they are history

 

Bill

[nobuzz4me]

I agree with B-Spot, you must wash that donor area much differently than your recipient area. I think some may be too careful to touch this area.

 

I do not think the closure method matters in that the stitches could become part of the formed scab as well and may turn out to be just as painful to remove.

 

The bottom line is cleanliness makes happiness!

[Eman]

How about applying lidocaine after cleaning the area around the staples. Lidocaine is a prescription drug that numbs the area.

 

I am not a doctor, but wondering if this was ever suggested prior to staple removal?

[hairbank]

Too bad about the negative experience with staples. I argree with what's been posted, you have to work at cleaning the area every day to keep it clean and work any scabbing off of the staples. I did this and really had no pain at all when removing the staples.........all 77 or so of them.

[BAL]

I'm sorry justme051, but I couldn't help chuckling to myself when I read your post. Trust me if you think what you have had to endure is inhumane, think about me! I'm a patient of Dr Feller's whose the first ever person to undergo the revolutionary staple-cycle technique. Basically, after surgery, I have my staples replaced every two weeks with those nasty local anaesthetic injections. And oh yeah I have to do this for 9 months straight! I'm 3 months into it now and believe me, be thankful for just having to remove your staples once after 8 days .

[Jotronic]

Bal,

 

How's that working out for you so far?

[BAL]

Originally posted by Jotronic:

Bal,

 

How's that working out for you so far?

 

It's been a pain in the <STRIKE>ass</STRIKE>, or should I say head but I'm coping alrite. Some days are better than others. Sleeping has been the biggest expense for me. My donor does feel like a bomb has hit it... but it'll all be worth it if the experiment works as the scarring I have is just unbearable.

 

The scar so for is looking promising in that it's 5 or 6 times narrower than before. However, I will have to wait after the staples are removed to know if it'll stay like that. Heres hopin

[Jotronic]

Glad to know it, Bal. It's good to know that it's working out. Would you mind sharing how wide it was before revision and what you gather the current width is? If you would prefer to chat privately just email me at joe@hassonandwong.com. I'm anxious to know more I just don't want to push the issue if you are not comfortable with it yet. Thanks either way.

[Bill - Seemiller]

BAL,

 

I too would like to see how you are progressing if you are willing to share photos and your experience on this forum. I do have to say, however, even if it works wonders, I just HOPE that doctors come up with a BETTER and less painful way

 

Bill

[BAL]

Originally posted by BAL:

Originally posted by Jotronic:

Glad to know it, Bal. It's good to know that it's working out. Would you mind sharing how wide it was before revision and what you gather the current width is? If you would prefer to chat privately just email me at joe@hassonandwong.com. I'm anxious to know more I just don't want to push the issue if you are not comfortable with it yet. Thanks either way.

 

Jotronic - my scar was 2.5 cm in width and is currently 4-5 mm. If you want to know more, holla back, though I'm sure Dr Feller will tell you all the ins and outs.

 

Bill - I did make an initial post on it across the boards and it was my intention to post regular updates but any results at this stage are immaterial seeing that my scar could just stretch normally when the staples are removed. I will make a post in a few months when the results are clear.

 

Originally posted by Bill:

I do have to say, however, even if it works wonders, I just HOPE that doctors come up with a BETTER and less painful way

 

Yeah this isn't for everyone, like the thread starter, Justme051 suggests. Generally, us butchered patients are a tougher breed

[YoungGuy]

I don't know guys. I had 50 or 60 staples myself, was scared of washing the donor area properly and as a result had a good amount of dried blood, so hair were being pulled with each staple.

 

Some were painless. Some made me see stars. I had to take a 5 second break once, but other than that, it was no big deal. What's a little pain, really, especially if it's a 1-time thing? Man up.