FUT AND FUE differences

[adambucky]

Hi

can anyone tell me the basic differences between FUT - Follicular unit transplantation and FUE - Follicular unit Extraction.

 

Many Thanks

[Dutch]

FUT- is strip. More grafts can be extracted, more appropriate for the advanced Norwoods.

FUE- is follicles extracted individually. Takes longer, costs more, has less survival success. Tiny little white dots for scars.

 

Some doctors do both, others only do one or the other.

Take a look at examples through this website & look at people's photos

[mattj]

The difference is purely in how the grafts are taken from the donor area (the back and sides of the head).

 

With FUT, a strip of scalp is removed (measurements vary depending on the size of the procedure and the patient's hair density, but it might measure around 1.25cm in width and 22cm in length, to give an example) and the individual hair follicles are removed from the strip by technicians working with powerful microscopes. These follicles are what we call the grafts. The opening in the scalp resulting from this strip removal is stitched closed so that it should heal to form a very thin scar.

 

With FUE, the surgeon uses a punch tool to extract each follicle from the scalp. (The tip of the tool will typically measure 0.8mm - 1mm in diameter). This leaves tiny round scars at the site of each extraction. The follicles are then trimmed of excess tissue under powerful microscopes in preparation for placement in the area being treated.

 

At this point the differences between the two methods end and the grafts are placed into the recipient incisions in the same way.

 

Does this answer your question fully?

[mattj]

I should add that the choice between the two methods is often entirely down to the preference of the patient. Some patients will prefer the small dot scars from FUE to the linear scar from FUT. However, with FUE the limit to how many grafts can be safely extracted in one session is lower. Patients with very good donor density might be able to have 3000 FUE grafts harvested in one procedure, but for many patients the number will have to be lower so that the donor area can be given time to recover.

 

If a patient requires higher graft numbers in one session then FUT is not only the preferred method but the only method.

 

FUE is, of course, more expensive than FUT due to the additional time and skill involved, and this can be a deciding factor for patients.

[Capelli11]

Matt gave you a great head start with your research...I had the same questions you did prior to my HT...what I recommend and what I did was research it on this site...everyone literally has that question and through research on this site you will become an expert...you can go in the search bar and type in some searches.