Donor area pain 6 months post op FUE

[london81]

Hi guys,

 

I'm 6 months post op FUE and after having bad donor area pain from days 5-12 and a few odd twinges since I've recently noticed that the pain is starting to come back again in the donor area, especially at night. It's like an 'electric shock' type pain and also feels pretty sore.

 

I've emailed my clinic and will see what they say but just wondered if anyone else had heard of this months after FUE?

 

Just hoping it's not permanent nerve damage cause it's painful.

 

Thank you

[Yonex]

Hi Mate

 

Thats terrible having that pain so far out from your procedure, has it settled down now and are you happy with the growth so far?

[walky]

Now I am scared for myself. It was very painfull between the 5th and 10th days post op. Now I am 1 month post op and thank god no pain at all.

 

Maybe it is not nerve damage but just a few ingrown folicles due to improper extraction.

[gillenator]

No doubt it's the result of many severed nerves from the extraction process. The good news is that the nerves endings do heal and actually grow.

 

This is what produces the "electric shock sensations" even up to one year or so post-op.

 

Some guys also experience numbness up to 12 months or so post-op both in the donor zone and the recipient area. And that's also related to nerves repairing themselves.

 

It just takes some time.

[london81]

Thanks Gillenator, it seems to have gone now thank god :-)

[pkipling]

I experienced this same exact thing after surgery, and remember it actually being the worst part of the entire procedure for me. This is the first I've heard of it rearing it's ugly head again so many months post-surgery. Good to see it subsided.

[gillenator]

Thanks Gillenator, it seems to have gone now thank god :-)

 

Whew, glad to hear the good news...

[Dr. Alan Feller]

The symptoms you are describing relates to what I call "FUE Neuralgia". It can occur in both Strip and FUE procedures, but much more so with the latter. Thankfully, in most patients, the scalp is resilient enough to recover. However, should a second procedure be performed the numbing process will take longer, hurt more, and wear off quicker.

 

The reason this neuralgia is more pronounced in FUE patients is because of the larger area of fibrosis created by the procedure itself. Unlike FUT where the surgical excision and fibrosis are limited to a few millimeters in width along one line, FUE scars are scattered throughout the donor area in great volume.

 

The reason the medication wears off quicker is because healthy spongy donor tissue gets replaced by fibrosis thus not allowing the medication to diffuse throughout the donor area as it otherwise normally would. In contrast, strip procedures do not suffer nearly as much from this problem because the tissue both above and below the linear scar are virginal and thus retain their spongy characteristic allowing for great absorption of the local anesthetic and greater effect.

 

Dr. Feller

Great Neck, NY

[hairweare]

I have experienced neuralgia from my first strip surgery performed 20 yrs ago. The sensation of tightness and pulling is still present but ironically has greatly diminished since 301 beard grafts were placed into the widened scar via FUE. I mentioned this to Dr. Lorenzo but he had no comment. I wonder if other patients who have had FUE into their scars have experienced similar relief from what could be best described as a constant band like tightness from their old linear incisions.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

London,

That tight feeling is from the scars continuing to contract down throughout your donor area. This will affect your next procedure whether it's FUE or strip unfortunately. Each time you have a procedure performed, be it FUE or strip, the task becomes more difficult and the number of grafts obtainable diminishes because the donor area has fibrosed and lost natural flexibility. So the chances of "scar stretch" increases in strip procedures and the "moth eaten" or "mottled" effect increases in FUE surgery. An additional problem with FUE, however, is the loss of flexibility can result in the skin around the target grafts becoming brittle making them much more susceptible to fracture and transection. I think I'll make a detailed video describing this phenomenon as I do not see it being discussed at all online.

 

Would love to see your results when you get a chance to post them London.

 

Hairweare,

Interesting benefit you received from your procedure. I once had a patient who suffered from regular migraines throughout his life, I performed a strip procedure on him and his migraines disappeared as of the day of the procedure and hadn't returned at least as far as the third year when he visited to say hello.

 

Dr. Feller

Great Neck, NY

[london81]

Hi thanks for you reply Dr Feller. Here is a link to my results at 9.5 months. I posted it a couple of weeks back. http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/179662-dr-feriduni-1800-9-5-months.html

 

With regards to the donor area, does everyone's donor diminish after each surgery or only those who feel tightness and pain? Also, can't the tissues repair over time giving the scalp time to heal and then be more prepared and in better shape for future surgeries?

 

I guess guys with higher Norwood's who wait and have a large surgery in one go could potentially get better results than guys who do it in smaller stages of 2 or 3 surgeries?

Edited June 7, 2015 by london81

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Thanks London.

 

To answer your question, the answer is absolutely YES, everyone's donor area diminishes after each procedure no matter if they feel tightness or otherwise. Tissue will not repair over time because the "tissue" we are talking about is SCAR TISSUE. If anything it tends to compress and compact over time. What we do HOPE happens after both strip and large FUE surgery is that that compensatory mechanisms will kick in to loosen the skin and allow for renewed flexibility.

 

One such mechanism is that the areas between the FUE extractions will relax their tone so as to allow the entire area to relax. But there is a price to be paid. When this happens these areas become thinner and thus more prone to transection on a second FUE procedure. It is in this instance that strip surgery has a huge advantage over FUE. Also, areas adjacent to scar tissue become harder or more brittle making them literally snap in half the moment any rotation is applied during FUE scoring or traction. Again, not an issue with strip surgery.

 

The very best growth to you.

Your doctor is one of my favorites.

Dr. Feller

[hairweare]

"I guess guys with higher Norwood's who wait and have a large surgery in one go could potentially get better results than guys who do it in smaller stages of 2 or 3 surgeries?"

 

It would appear that both Drs Lorenzo and Maras amongst others take the opposite approach.

[london81]

I'm still in pain from the donor area and I'm approaching 10 months now it went off for a while and now it's back again. It's like a burning sensation, really sore. Keeps me awake at night and is constantly throbbing. I did go and see a dermatologist in London and he said he couldn't 'see' any apparent problem. I'm using painkillers, Nizarol, T Gel, Aloe Vera, tea tree all with very minimal benefit I really hope this is not going to be something I'm stuck with. I Wonder if it's damaged nerves or something? I've had a search online and can't seem to find anyone who had donor pain at this stage post op. I hope things are still healing and that it will ease. I've contacted Spex Dr Feriduni's patient advisor and I'm awaiting his response. I thought the worst case senario of FUE was that it wouldn't grow I didn't realise you might be left with constant permanent pain I just hope this isn't the case and it goes away for good. Any suggestions would be most welcome?

[Td06]

I'm still in pain from the donor area and I'm approaching 10 months now it went off for a while and now it's back again. It's like a burning sensation, really sore. Keeps me awake at night and is constantly throbbing. I did go and see a dermatologist in London and he said he couldn't 'see' any apparent problem. I'm using painkillers, Nizarol, T Gel, Aloe Vera, tea tree all with very minimal benefit I really hope this is not going to be something I'm stuck with. I Wonder if it's damaged nerves or something? I've had a search online and can't seem to find anyone who had donor pain at this stage post op. I hope things are still healing and that it will ease. I've contacted Spex Dr Feriduni's patient advisor and I'm awaiting his response. I thought the worst case senario of FUE was that it wouldn't grow I didn't realise you might be left with constant permanent pain I just hope this isn't the case and it goes away for good. Any suggestions would be most welcome?

 

Like you, I'm also experiencing donor area pain after 10 months. I didn't have a fue procedure but fut. like you mentioned it like a burning/throbbing sensation that doesn't seem to go away. Hopefully it will subside with time.

 

Odd thing is, I've never experienced this type of pain from my first fut procedure.

[Ibo147]

Iam haveing pain as london81 is haveing , i had 2000 grafts on hairline and tempels 4 weeks ago , had pain on the 5th day then some pain around my tempel wasent big pain until reaching the 3rd week

The pain got so bad i have to start takeing ibprufe 400mg , pain is like getting hair implant done without numbing throbbing pain , iam just hopeinh this is not permenent and would like to hear from

Lonfon81 of how he is doing ,

 

Please anyone help that has gone throw pain like this?

 

I went doc callec the hair clinic all they say is wait take pills should pass but this pain is unusual ans so painfull ,