Pre-HT and Post HT advice...DO I NEED ANYTHING???

[Capelli11]

Hi All,

 

I am having my HT with Dr. Rahal in December. Since it is quickly approaching I am trying to get everything in order in regards to what I will need before, during and after surgery. I will be following Dr. Rahal's 2 week pre HT recommendations (i.e. no alcohol, no taking of certain meds, etc). However, I want to ask everyone especially the people who have already had a HT if they can offer me any advice as to if I should buy something before my HT or perhaps do anything that had they known about would have made life a little bit easier. Do i have to buy that airplane pillow (as an example of what I am referring to). Your advice is greatly appreciated...basically tell me had u to do it all over again, knowing what you know now...what you would do differently in regards to preparation and post HT protocol. Thanks!!!

[JayWalker]

Yes, definitely buy that airplane pillow, makes sleeping very easy and worry free (from rolling onto the grafts).

I used mine for a full week after.

I dont think I would do anything different really, I followed all my instructions for pre/post op to the letter and it all went very smoothly.

 

[Capelli11]

K thanks...I will def get that pillow. Also...after the cleaning period and after the sutures are removed...do u still have to put something on the wound (donor scar)? Or do you just go on living your normal life at this point?

[JayWalker]

The ointment was used for a few days after I remember right, (on the donor scar), then let nature run its course. 3 weeks from the op, I couldnt even tell where my scar was. (without inspecting it visually)

[wildflowerwildflower]

Thanks for asking this question Capelli11. I'm scheduled for mid-December with Dr. Wong, and I'm in the same boat. I'm wanting to be in tip-top shape health-wise and prepared, so I've been taking notes of what folks have written here they recommend. This will be a very helpful thread.

[Capelli11]

JayWalker: Was your scar covered by your existing hair post op? I have been growing mine but not sure how long it needs to be...heard around 1 inch give or take to cover it.

 

Wildflower: I have been on this site for a while now but now that I am actually going through with my HT soon I want to see if all the HT pro's on this site could give me some insight from their experiences so that I can be ready for them...(i.e. buying that airplane pillow) and other pre-op and post op suggestions. Have to make sure I get a lot of button down shirts too...don't want to be putting things over my head for a while.

 

Anybody have any other suggestions looking back at their procedure and their experience?! Thanks!!!

[gillenator]

Matt should be able to assist you with your questions if you are doing your procedure with Dr. Rahal.

 

You definitely want to follow "your" doctor's instructions and best wishes to you in your upcoming procedure.

[Capelli11]

Thanks Gillenator...I am following Dr. Rahal's instructions...but the reason behind my post is to ask other HT patients if they could do anything differently in regards to preparing for and post HT that they convey this to me. There is usually a lot of trial and error both before and after a HT that I always read in their posts...such as suggestions that they can recommend for me.

[HairFusion]

Hi Capelli11,

 

I have just had an HT with Dr. Rahal a couple of weeks back and have posted a detailed experience in a separate post so I hope it would be helpful if you can search and read that.

Here are some tips I can provide ....

1. If you are a side sleeper then definitely start sleeping on your back for a few days to get used to laying on your back My HT lasted 9 hours and for me, it got really tough to lay on my back for the last couple of hours. There was a movie playing in front me but I was least interested as I just wanted to get off my back !

2. Bring your ipod, iphone, reading material, whatever you are into to pass time during the HT.

3. Stay at the Foxbar the night of your HT. They have reclining sofas everywhere and you need to sleep on that during the night. Personally I had no problems sleeping the night of my HT. The recliners were comfortable and I guess the sleep medication was in effect.

4. The travel pillow has really helped me over the past couple of weeks It was only since a couple of days that I could sleep at a proper angle. I was sleeping at a 45 degree angle before then.

5. Not sure how long you plan to stick around close to Dr Rahal's office after the HT. I would recommend either leaving the next day after your followup or staying for more than 5 days. I was looking like a real freak from Day 2 - 5 due to all the swelling and tried to avoid as much of the outside as possible.

 

Other than this, just follow their post op instructions. Dr. Rahal provides detailed post op instructions and Mike is always available by phone if you have any questions.

[JayWalker]

JayWalker: Was your scar covered by your existing hair post op? I have been growing mine but not sure how long it needs to be...heard around 1 inch give or take to cover it.

 

Wildflower: I have been on this site for a while now but now that I am actually going through with my HT soon I want to see if all the HT pro's on this site could give me some insight from their experiences so that I can be ready for them...(i.e. buying that airplane pillow) and other pre-op and post op suggestions. Have to make sure I get a lot of button down shirts too...don't want to be putting things over my head for a while.

 

Anybody have any other suggestions looking back at their procedure and their experience?! Thanks!!!

 

Yeah, sure was. My hair was about 1" long. You can see a slight ridge in the hair where their is a gap where it has been shaved, but only you'd notice.

[hairthere]

Good info Spex.

 

Capelli, it's normal to be anxious before having surgery. The day of surgery will seem like a whirlwind and afterwards you will be in a slight state of shock at what just happened. Then the next few months will be frustrating. But once that growth starts and you really see a visible change you will realize why you put yourself through it. My one recommendation is to just document the process as best you can. You will get a clear perspective of the transformation.

 

Rahal is a great doctor, so just trust in his results, and that it will take at least a year to see yours. Best of luck!

[wildflowerwildflower]

Spex, you have no idea how helpful your info is. Thanks so much.

 

A few more additional questions for HT gurus...Is it common to have some kind of sedative during the procedure? And how long generally do folks need to take the pain meds? I've read that not everyone has post-op swelling...for those that do, does anything seem to help to reduce the swelling?

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Spex

Swelling and saline? Can you be more specific. What do you mean the amount of saline used?

[gillenator]

Saline is a sterile solution that is used for several purposes when injected into the scalp. It is partly accountable for post-op swelling in the forehead area when gravity actually pulls the fluid down the scalp to the eyebrow area.

 

It also creates "lift" between the scalp and tissue when the strip is being excised from the donor zone.

[wildflowerwildflower]

Have people had good results with using Aloe Vera post-HT on the donor area?

[iwokeuptoabaldpatch]

be sure to ask your doctor for some anti swelling tablets. I also travelled abroad and had to wait 3 days before boarding a plane. In the natural course of things since my op was 3 days, the swelling had started on day 3 so by day 6 on the aeroplane it would have made things very difficult for me looking like a klingon in a busy developing countries airport and on a long haul flight, thankfully the doctor gave me some tablets prednisolone which worked fantastically well.

After my first strip operation 4 years ago which was a far far more minor operation compared to the one i just had and done in 1 morning and afternoon i did swell up on the forehead and eyes very badly for 4-5 days. With these tablets nothing at all. all the best with your operation

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

2 days Cap! Good luck!

[qwerty555]

Hi All,

 

I am having my HT with Dr. Rahal in December. Since it is quickly approaching I am trying to get everything in order in regards to what I will need before, during and after surgery. I will be following Dr. Rahal's 2 week pre HT recommendations (i.e. no alcohol, no taking of certain meds, etc). However, I want to ask everyone especially the people who have already had a HT if they can offer me any advice as to if I should buy something before my HT or perhaps do anything that had they known about would have made life a little bit easier. Do i have to buy that airplane pillow (as an example of what I am referring to). Your advice is greatly appreciated...basically tell me had u to do it all over again, knowing what you know now...what you would do differently in regards to preparation and post HT protocol. Thanks!!!

 

Take a look at my write up post surgery. There is a section on what I would recommend for you to buy. Good luck with everything.

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/163284-my-hair-restoration-story-hair-transplant-dr-ron-shapiro.html

[gillenator]

be sure to ask your doctor for some anti swelling tablets. I also travelled abroad and had to wait 3 days before boarding a plane. In the natural course of things since my op was 3 days, the swelling had started on day 3 so by day 6 on the aeroplane it would have made things very difficult for me looking like a klingon in a busy developing countries airport and on a long haul flight, thankfully the doctor gave me some tablets prednisolone which worked fantastically well.

After my first strip operation 4 years ago which was a far far more minor operation compared to the one i just had and done in 1 morning and afternoon i did swell up on the forehead and eyes very badly for 4-5 days. With these tablets nothing at all. all the best with your operation

 

Many docs still prescribe prednisone a steroid which can potentially help alot with post-op swelling. I have used it myself. Ice packs can help with trauma related swelling which is different from fluid swelling.