FUT strip width

[zaxter]

As I said in a previous post, one fine coalition surgeon estimated during an in-person consult that a 1.6cm wide strip of my donor area could yield roughly 2500 grafts. Based on a video showing a comb running through my donor areas, the highly respected doctor who I finally chose said that he could harvest 4000+ grafts. With my mediocre donor density, it sounds like I’d need at least a 2.5cm and maybe even a 3cm wide strip to harvest 4000+ grafts.

 

The few times I’ve seen strip widths posted along with patient results, the widths seem to range between 1-2cm. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a posted strip width exceed 2cm.

 

So I have 2 questions. If I have about 2.5cm of up and down movement in my donor areas, does that mean that roughly a 2.5cm strip could be safely removed? Since strip widths aren’t posted too often, what are some of the wider strips that you’ve known to be safely harvested? When I look at 2.5-3cm on a ruler and hold that up to my donor areas, that just seems like a crazy large amount of scalp to have removed.

 

Since my chosen doc is on the other side of the continent, I’m putting together more pics and clips that will hopefully be the next best thing to a personal consult. This week I’m having a friend take some pics of my donor areas using a macro lens (my hair is now chopped short enough that every follicle should show). I’ll also ask the doc these questions, but I’d like to hear some responses here from the veterans. Your thoughts and opinions mean a lot. Thanks!

Edited October 16, 2017 by zaxter