time between two strip surgeries??

[BuddyTheElf]

hi guys, how much time is required between two strip surgeries if they are

 

a) the recipient sites are adjacent (ie: surgery1 is for the hairline, surgery2 is midscalp)

 

 

b) the recipient sites are far away (surgery1 is hairline & temples , surgery2 is crown)

 

 

i am guessing 12 months, and 6 months respectively... (?)

[HARIRI]

In my opinion.. You have to wait 12 months in either ways. Its not about the recipient area and the growth period. Its about the total recovery and laxity restoration of the scar and donor area. For example, top doctors always advises the patient to go back after 12 months even if he is interested for scar revision only.

[Dutch]

I'd wait at least 12 months.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

At least 12, if not 18 months.

[aaron1234]

The question I have is how long should one wait post-transplant to start doing scalp exercises again in preparation for the next round? Especially if one is a slow healer.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Aaron

That is a great question. I'll be interested to see if a doctor responds to that. It would stand to reason if most doctors say wait a year, you should probably wait 9 months to start doing scalp exercises, but I sure don't know!!

[Jotronic]

BuddyTheElf,

 

I don't think there is a one size fits all approach to either scenario. If you were going back into the same recipient area to have additional density added then yes, about 12 months would be best. If you are going into either scenario you suggested, the second surgery recipient zone is separate from the first surgery recipient zone then about 8 months minimum should suffice.

 

What you were first asking about is similar to what Bobman did. His first procedure of 4849 grafts was performed for just the front of his scalp.

 

 

Then 9 months later he returned and he had 2955 grafts placed into the crown.

 

 

By 9 months his scalp had not only healed up but his laxity had returned enough to get a healthy procedure for the crown region.

 

Aaron1234,

 

We feel that a patient should wait about 8 months post-op before they begin scalp laxity exercises. This can vary from patient to patient as some will have more tension on their first closure than others.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Jotronic

[aaron1234]

Ah, thanks Joe. Good to know. I presume it's a bit longer than 8 months if you've done 2 or more procedures already.

[Albion71]

Hi Joe,

 

We met in London recently, and talked in terms of waiting till two years after my most recent HT (a second strip surgery, done in December), before I would be ready for a third.

 

But that may have been due to my scalp not being very lax?