2 Session Procedure

[SlowlyThinning@59]

What Janna posted about people having varying degrees of threshold pain is true, mine has always been high. Having gone thru hernia surgeries, torn ligaments, torn achilles tendons and passing kidney stones that lasted over 8 hours was my worst pain ever. Anyway, I will be sitting in one of Dr. Limmer's chairs come this Monday and Tuesday for my two day session, I will be back home Wednesday and I will make a post and let you guys know how it went and what discomfort was involved. I have been looking forward to this procedure for a long time. Later...John

[NervousNelly]

John,

 

You poor bastard. Innocently you posted your upcoming surgery and this tread turned wild on you. Sorry for the rain on your parade.

 

Best of luck with things and keep us all posted as to how it goes. Soon enough you'll be a new man.

 

NN

[SlowlyThinning@59]

Ha Ha Won't be the first time it's rained on me, no problem. Thanks for the best of luck. Later...John

[finnari]

Now that I had my surgery I have an opinion on this matter. I had 1500 grafts placed and it took from 0830-5 p.m. That is a long time. Someone like Dr. Keene who works in a smaller town may have trouble having a large amount of tech's available to work in limited situations. If she needs these tech's infrequently why would they be available to work sporatically? They need to make a living too. So she has a rather small staff that she can consistantly give a living to. Do they suddenly want to work a 18 hour day to do a mega-session?

 

As we know the longer you work doing fine work like transplants the sloppier potentially the work could be. I may be wrong about this but it is my feeling.

 

As for returning the next day for another session. Wow. That would take guts I would not want to go through all that numbing and cutting on an already sore head. But if I was a baldie type guy mabe I would gut it out.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Janna,

 

My 8 hour a day for 2 days was an example and by no means meant to state that 2000 grafts WILL always take that long or short. Clearly it's going to vary from patient to patient and there is no sure way to predict how long a session will take.

 

I think it's good to have options and understandably, if a patient understands the advantages and disadvantages of doing a megasession in a period of 2 days verses 1, I don't have a problem with it in theory.

 

I think my next paragraph sums up what I'm trying to say...

 

In a nutshell...I'm not totally against it...I just simply see more disadvantages than advantages for the patient. That's all.

 

However, still, nobody has addressed my question about scar 1 verses scar 2. On day 2, how close does the surgeon get to scar number 1 when removing strip 2? I was told by one clinic (I think it was the Limmer clinic) that there is NO overlapping, but how close does one get to the 1st scar?

 

I may be wrong, but it SEEMS to me that getting too close to the first scar could increase the risk of trauma to that area, whereas not getting close enough will minimize the number of grafts that can be extracted over 2 days verses in a single session.

 

Regarding length of time...

 

I can only speak personally here, and not for everyone...but...I don't think enduring 16 hours in one day would be fun for the staff OR the patient...but I would rather sit 16 hours in one day to get a 6000 graft session (for example) than spread it over a course of 2 days knowing full well the condition I'd be in the next day. IF I HAD to choose a 2 session day, I'd go for 2 smaller sessions 8 months apart...however, I'm still a fan of the single megasession when applicable for the patient.

 

Bill

[the B spot]

What qualifies me to talk about anything I desire, is that I am a 3000+ graft patient twice over, both times 10+ hours.

 

The techs that worked on me were AMAZING and upbeat the entire time. Wow thats a thought, hmmm?

 

I put in looooong days 6 days a week, as I am sure most of us do, so 7-8 hours per session are nothing when I have personally went through longer sessions myself and watched many others do the same.

 

Finnari was able to grasp my point of simple economics---- Dr. Keene is not going to have many techs on hand when it seems her sessions range from 1000 to 2500 grafts.

 

If she became more noted for doing larger sessions during the same day, perhaps she could afford to retain a consistant staff.

 

I reiterate, I don't really care about two day sessions, I think barring extenuating patient comfort circumstances/medical issues it is an excuse not to push yourself or your staff to higher thresholds.

 

It is very simple: You want to keep paying customers who want larger sessions, but you cannot afford to accomodate them during a one day session, because they are infrequently requested of your clinic. It would be poor business to over-staff yourself. I recognize then and others do as well.

 

Nothing wrong with that at all.... just say it for what it is.

 

OF COURSE, this is my OPINION, I could be wrong..... but I don't think I am on this one.

 

J

[Hairtechnician]

Just to clarify, Dr. Keene will do 3000 grafts in a one day session, and often a session of 3000 might result in a couple hundred extra.

 

However, Dr. Keene does feel that it puts the patient at risk to have a very long day, so she chooses to limit it. The longer the surgical session, the more anesthetic is needed, and there is a risk to too much anesthetic. Also, while some may have the stamina to sit in one place for 12 hours easily, (keep in mind that includes holding fairly still because the incisions are minute in size and small movements can interfere with placing the grafts), many people do not. Some people even have resistance to valium. Even if they don't, more medication required for a long day can result in more side effects. Also, as has been mentioned, once the donor is removed, the graft survival diminishes when left out of the body too long. At any rate, there really are many factors to consider other than staffing.

 

In regard to staffing, Dr. Keene's surgery schedule is full. Her staff does have full time work when they want it. I did not mean to imply Dr. Keene only has one assistant who can place. I have also been assisting her for over 10 years, and have placed with her as well as other doctors during that time. Other members of her staff sometimes assist. But she prefers to keep it in her hands primarily.

 

Additionally, in regard to the concerns about the donor area, it is closed on one side the first day and continued as a seperate incision the next day. The donor area that has been sutured is not reopened. The risk of scarring is not increased due to being done on consecutve days. But laxity is a consideration in any megasession. So only certain patients are considered for large megasessions.

 

Dr. Keene offers the consecutive day surgery as an option for patients who want to limit their time in the surgery chair, and at Physician's Hair Institute they know they will have the hands on attention of their surgeon throughout the surgery. Again, only certain patients are eligible for megasessions over 3000 grafts based on scalp laxity, donor density, area of hair loss, etc.

 

For further info please contact us for a consultation with Dr. Keene at 800-840-9761.

 

I am a medical assistant and hair transplant surgical assistant to Dr. Keene

[AndrewYoung]

I had over just over 3,500 grafts placed in one day. I went in at 8 and came out at around 5:45. Personally, there were times during the day where I almost fell asleep. Now I am a baby when it comes to pain threshold, but I could have gone another few hours if need be. I would much prefer that than two days.

 

I would think the risks of putting an anesthetic in two days in a row would be greater than putting a bit more in on day one to help with the pain. With an adequate staff rotating in three stations, I wouldn't think that any mega session should go two days.

 

Personally, I can't imagine going in that second day right after the first. All I wanted to do was relax, sleep, spray, shampoo, spray and relax.

 

Perhaps some patient is willing but it's definitely not for me, thanks. Course, there are also patients willing to go to bad doctors too so, there ya go. Just because a patient is willing to do it doesn't make it a wise practice.

[SlowlyThinning@59]

I did it in two days, had no problems and have had no problems. Dr. Brad Limmer is an excellent doctor and knows what he is doing. I did have a little discomfort but no pain, it's been 10 days since post op and still have my grafts, they haven't shedded yet and I feel great. I would do it again, I guess it's up to the individual, to each his own. The ones that go to bad doctors, guess they didn't do their research.....Happy growing to all.