How Much Grafts can be Harvested in a Strip

[sharan9895]

Typical Indian patient

 

Hair density ( no of hairs per sq cm) -Density varies from 70-95 per sq cm in Indian patients

 

Size of head-width of head from one ear to other -This varies from 25-32 cms in most Indian patients.

 

Skin Laxity( which determines the maximum width of skin that can be removed safely). - The width of skin varies from 1-1.7 cms depending on elasticity in Indian patients

 

So the Best Case is : (Length) 32cm*(density) 95*(width)1.7cm=5,168 grafts

So an Average Indian can Get a max of only 4000 .

 

Correct me if I'm Wrong..... Or do Surgeons Take out multiple parallel Strips is Laxity is Good Enough

Edited January 10, 2013 by sharan9895

[gillenator]

I presume that you did your research to obtain these numbers and that's fine. Whatever the numbers turn out to be, the one thing that always stands out to me are the differences between individuals irrespective of origin.

 

What I did want to address is that even if more than 4,000 grafts could be harvested in a single strip session, I would not recommend doing much more than that in a single session.

 

And I also highly discourage patients from having more than one strip excised in any single procedure.

[sharan9895]

I presume that you did your research to obtain these numbers and that's fine. Whatever the numbers turn out to be, the one thing that always stands out to me are the differences between individuals irrespective of origin.

 

What I did want to address is that even if more than 4,000 grafts could be harvested in a single strip session, I would not recommend doing much more than that in a single session.

 

And I also highly discourage patients from having more than one strip excised in any single procedure.

 

And what about having multiple strips in procedures say that are 6 years apart??

[gillenator]

I do not advocate multiple strips no matter how far apart the procedures are.

[sharan9895]

Then how do surgeons get magical numbers like 6000 - 7000 grafts...

[Postdoc]

Then how do surgeons get magical numbers like 6000 - 7000 grafts...

 

A very long strip can be excised and stapled in sections. For example, my 37 cm strip of 4416 grafts was taken in nine sections and the eventual shape is more like a 'U' than a flat line. This allows better adjustment to skin planes and where there's the best laxity. Cases like the 8000 graft FUT perfomed last year by Hasson & Wong are extremely unusual and would only be practical when donor density and laxity are exceptional. Most doctors would split the procedure.

[gillenator]

Then how do surgeons get magical numbers like 6000 - 7000 grafts...

 

That is exceptional and rare to harvest that many grafts from one strip.

 

Most larger strips bear between 3,000 - 4,000 grafts on the safe side.

[gobble]

I do not advocate multiple strips no matter how far apart the procedures are.

 

I thought this is done all the time? Cut out the old scar with the additional procedures?

[aaron1234]

I imagine gillenator is referring to multiple strip scars - not multiple strip surgeries. Meaning different strips taken from different regions of the scalp leaving the patient with several linear scars.

[gillenator]

Thank you Aaron, that was exactly what I meant.

[scar5]

Typical Indian patient

(Length) 32cm*(density) 95*(width)1.7cm=5,168 grafts

So an Average Indian can Get a max of only 4000 .

 

 

Uh..oh...

Impressive stats. What are you forgetting??

What the strip surgeons don't tell us..

 

From the web..

Definition: The telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle. At any given time, 10%-15% of all hairs are in the telogen phase.

 

So how many of those hairs are lost and not counted in your strip, thrown into the garbage bag because, .they are, I have been told on several occasions (and I take no responsibility for being wrong) impossible to see even under magnification by the cutters?

 

Quite a lot of the telegen hairs will still be on their way out of the skin but still visible. Also some hairs within a follicle will be missing, so say a single is really a double but missing a hair. However, you will have washed out a lot of telegen hair with shampoo by the time of your op. Furthermore, if you have diligently done your scalp stretching exercises you will have helped a lot out too.

 

It wouldn't stop me doing strip - the scar is what does - but nevertheless, just something to consider viz-a-viz numbers. Also there will be a lot of transection on the edge of the cut too, because it is impossible to draw a straight line across your head and not transect.

[Mickey85]

Uh..oh...

Impressive stats. What are you forgetting??

What the strip surgeons don't tell us..

 

From the web..

Definition: The telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle. At any given time, 10%-15% of all hairs are in the telogen phase.

 

So how many of those hairs are lost and not counted in your strip, thrown into the garbage bag because, .they are, I have been told on several occasions (and I take no responsibility for being wrong) impossible to see even under magnification by the cutters?

 

Quite a lot of the telegen hairs will still be on their way out of the skin but still visible. Also some hairs within a follicle will be missing, so say a single is really a double but missing a hair. However, you will have washed out a lot of telegen hair with shampoo by the time of your op. Furthermore, if you have diligently done your scalp stretching exercises you will have helped a lot out too.

 

It wouldn't stop me doing strip - the scar is what does - but nevertheless, just something to consider viz-a-viz numbers. Also there will be a lot of transection on the edge of the cut too, because it is impossible to draw a straight line across your head and not transect.

 

Quoted for truth.