Scalp tightness

[finnari]

How many transplants can a person have before the scalp will have problems giving the donar strip? Can it get done so much that you have problems after with a "tight" scalp? Problems such as headaches etc.

[finnari]

How many transplants can a person have before the scalp will have problems giving the donar strip? Can it get done so much that you have problems after with a "tight" scalp? Problems such as headaches etc.

[Bill - Seemiller]

finnari,

 

The answer isn't cut and dry. it all depends on a person's physiology. However, an ethical clinic will never over-tax your donor area to that point...however, I'm sure this has happened before with patients that went to not-so-reputable clinics. yet another reason why clinic choice is vital to ensure a successful surgery.

 

Bill

[hairbank]

I agree with Bill in that this will vary from person to person. At the same time.............skin stretches, and, if you faithfully perform the scalp exercises to stretch the skin I'm not sure you would have any problem even with 4, 5 or 6 surgeries. I'd love to hear input from a Doc on this one.

[finnari]

what scalp exercises are you talking about?

[Bill - Seemiller]

Finnari,

 

See here: http://www.hassonandwong.com/knowledge_base/hair_transp...laxity-exercises.php

 

Bill

[TheHairLossCure]

Patients can do well with multiple strips. To me, there is a point where the surgery is inefficient though. Usually you can get the most tissue, and the most hair, out from the first session. For the second procedure you are probably not going to get as much tissue. Furthermore, less of that tissue will be hair-bearing as a scar will be running through it.

 

If you look a Bill' surgical history, it almost reads backwards as the graft yield with each of his sessions gets greater and greater. Most of the time we see mega-session candidates get a big first pass followed by progressively smaller sessions.

 

With FIT/FUE working in conjunction with strip excision, I believe fewer patients will need 4-6 strip session these days. You can move a lot of hair with 1-3 strip harvests and then touch-up/finish off with FIT/FUE as needed. I feel the combination approach will limit scarring potential, avoid tightness, and deliver a good number of grafts.

 

I'm being a little tangential here, but I think technology is such now that patients do not need to do that many sessions.

[Bill - Seemiller]

If you look a Bill' surgical history, it almost reads backwards as the graft yield with each of his sessions gets greater and greater. Most of the time we see mega-session candidates get a big first pass followed by progressively smaller sessions.

 

Yes I agree. Typically, the first session will yield the greatest number of grafts. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gone to Dr. Hasson from the beginning and probably would have been done in 2 sessions rather than 3.

 

Most people, I believe, with EXTENSIVE loss can get done in 2 strip sessions now adays (sometimes but rarely one), dependent of course on (and in no particular order):

 

1. the clinic's ability to harvest large strips

2. the patient's donor density

3. the patient's donor laxity

4. the clinic's philosophy in harvesting larger strips

5. The patient's ultimate goals

 

Some clinics simply don't have the ability to harvest very large strips and some are just plain against it. However, as long as the clinic has a "safety first" philosophy and the realistic goals of the patient are achieved, that is the MOST important thing.

 

However...why do in 4 sessions what can be done in 2? Clearly there is something to say about achieving one's goals in fewer sessions, if it's possible. For the patient, there will be

 

1. Fewer surgeries - though the experience is not dreadful...why spend more time in surgery if you don't have to.

2. Less healing time - especially for those that get strip surgery...the less of these the better.

3. Less waiting time - Doldrums...need I say more?

 

Bill

[TheHairLossCure]

You forgot one...less healing, waiting, and growing...and less SCARRING.

[Bill - Seemiller]

You forgot one...less healing, waiting, and growing...and less SCARRING

 

Actually this may not be true and I think you know why.

 

Obviously even though the number of surgeries may be reduced, the risk is increased with larger sessions of greater scarring. I'd say, in the best hands and in optimal conditions, scarring will be minimal AND about the same when all is said and done. Clearly there are benefits and risks to both philosophies . I just happen to prefer the larger sessions, fewer surgeries approach, which has proven to be safe. Of course, we need to remember that "larger" is relative to each patient. So for any perspective HT patients reading this...one should NOT assume that because patient X received 5000, 6000, or even 7000 grafts in a single session, that they will be able to achieve the same. Laxity and density play a major role in this.

 

Bill

[hairbank]

Very nice finishing thought to this thread.

 

Actually, how many of us here would do it differently if they had it to do again? I know I would. I was less informed than I should have been about HT's in general and what could be achieved with respect to #'s in a given session. I'm guessing with 3886 grafts extracted from HT #2, and only 1200 from HT #1, I MAY have been able to get the whole 5086 grafts in one sitting, who knows for sure. Would have been much better for me if it could have been achieved.

 

The industry has drastically changed in the past 5 years............no only in refinement of the process and quality of results, but in quantity of grafts for one HT surgery.