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Staples vs sutures for strip closure


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Does anyone have an opinion on these or is there any objective data out there? Intuitively I would think sutures would look better and have less risk of stretch, but I heard a transplant doc say somewhere that he felt qualitatively that staples preserved more of the donor follicles for later work.

Do you all have any thoughts on this?

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I always had sutures and never had staples, but I would think staples are more painful and would be harder to conceal. I have dark hair and using dark colored sutures made it easy to conceal the surgery with my hair combed over it. I would think that it would be harder to conceal staples.

 

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Al

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(formerly BeHappy)

I am a forum moderator for hairrestorationnetwork.com. I am not a Dr. and I do not work for any particular Dr. My opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions of other moderators or the owner of this site. I am also a hair transplant patient and repair patient. You can view some of my repair journey here.

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12 hours ago, bismarck said:

Thank you. I asked this elsewhere, but did your surgeon use absorbable sutures or did they need to be removed afterwards? What time frame was this done?

 

Mine had to be removed about 10 days later. It's a very simple procedure. It only takes about 15 minutes.

 

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Al

Forum Moderator

(formerly BeHappy)

I am a forum moderator for hairrestorationnetwork.com. I am not a Dr. and I do not work for any particular Dr. My opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions of other moderators or the owner of this site. I am also a hair transplant patient and repair patient. You can view some of my repair journey here.

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Sutures were used in my first 3 FUT procedures and then staples were used in my fourth and last procedure.

My surgeon wanted to use staples because my laxity was a tad bit tighter than my previous procedures and he wanted to make sure my strip scar would not stretch.

It was not pleasant having the staples and hurt like you know what having them removed.

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Gillenator

Independent Patient Advocate

I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk.

Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY

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I have used both many times. I feel like staples consistently provide better cosmetic outcomes in the back. They are not quite as comfortable in the post-op, but I think they get the job done a little better in the end. Having said that, I have seen excellent results from many doctors who only use sutures. Most FUT doctors prefer one over the other and use one over the other on a regular basis. I would recommend selecting a doctor based upon the criteria you find important, and then letting them close up in the manner which they believe provides the best results. For example, if you like the way a doctor's incision line scars look and they frequently use sutures, go with what they recommend and you will have the best chance at obtaining the type of scar that drew you to the doctor in the first place. 

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any specific questions about using one versus the other and I will try to get them answered. 

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Dr. Blake Bloxham is recommended by the Hair Transplant Network.

 

 

Hair restoration physician - Feller and Bloxham Hair Transplantation

 

Previously "Future_HT_Doc" or "Blake_Bloxham" - forum co-moderator and editorial assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, Hair Restoration Network, Hair Loss Q&A blog, and Hair Loss Learning Center.

 

Click here to read my previous answers to hair loss and hair restoration questions, editorials, commentaries, and educational articles.

 

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Please note: my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician.

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11 hours ago, Dr Blake Bloxham said:

I have used both many times. I feel like staples consistently provide better cosmetic outcomes in the back. They are not quite as comfortable in the post-op, but I think they get the job done a little better in the end. Having said that, I have seen excellent results from many doctors who only use sutures. Most FUT doctors prefer one over the other and use one over the other on a regular basis. I would recommend selecting a doctor based upon the criteria you find important, and then letting them close up in the manner which they believe provides the best results. For example, if you like the way a doctor's incision line scars look and they frequently use sutures, go with what they recommend and you will have the best chance at obtaining the type of scar that drew you to the doctor in the first place. 

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any specific questions about using one versus the other and I will try to get them answered. 

Thanks Blake. When you use sutures are they absorbable or do you remove them? Or is this also surgeon preference? I have heard that absorbable sutures may not be as secure as conventional sutures, but have you noticed anything one way or the other? For your patients that are out of town that you use sutures with, do you have them removed with a local doc in their home city?

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1 hour ago, bismarck said:

For your patients that are out of town that you use sutures with, do you have them removed with a local doc in their home city?

 

I imagine most hair transplant Drs would like you to go back to the office to have stitches or staples removed, but you can get it done at various locations near you if the hair transplant clinic is far from you. If you are in the USA, some CVS and Walgreens stores offer this if they have in-store health clinics attached to them and I think any urgent care clinic will do it. Just call and ask.

 

 

Al

Forum Moderator

(formerly BeHappy)

I am a forum moderator for hairrestorationnetwork.com. I am not a Dr. and I do not work for any particular Dr. My opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions of other moderators or the owner of this site. I am also a hair transplant patient and repair patient. You can view some of my repair journey here.

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The clinic gave me the tool to use to remove the staples and it was my primary doctor who removed them.

Gillenator

Independent Patient Advocate

I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk.

Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY

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