Hair today and gone tomorrow! Indeed baldness is increasingly becoming common in men and women alike. Latest hair transplant techniques have come as a silver lining to the dark clouds of the traumatic experience of hair loss. The advancement in this line of medicine is immense and doctors are conducting hair transplants success rate of more than 90%.
However, there are certain circumstances where something may go wrong with a hair transplant. A certified surgeon rules out the possibilities of happenings as per diagnosis and prescribed treatment in the initial consultations before proceeding with the surgery. The end result of a hair transplant should closely align with what was discussed with patients before the procedure. During the initial consultation between the patient and the doctor, the doctor should outline any potential issues that may occur. Even though it's true that if we were to know all the potential side effects of a medicine that we are going to take, we would very well decide not to take it. Coming back to hair transplants, it's worth noting that there is a difference in a 'failed' transplant and transplant that failed to meet the patient's expectations. A good hair transplant surgeon can skilfully correct a bad transplant through various effective methods.
A totally different scenario is that of getting treated by the ' so-called' doctors with doubtful credentials.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery recently issued a warning to people, especially those who travel abroad for hair restoration. It said people have experienced irreparable damage and are left with scars. Patients are advised to do a thorough study and not take treatment from unregulated and cheap clinics. The lure of money drives people to clinics which are not staffed with skilled doctors and technicians. The surgery should be performed by a qualified plastic surgeon or dermatologist surgeon with enough experience.
Hair transplantation has a low complication rate compared to other aesthetic surgical procedures. However, if proper attention is not given, it can cause serious complications. Common postoperative complications include pain, oedema, asymmetry, bleeding, visible scarring, folliculitis, crusting, graft dislodgement, hiccups.
Oedema
Post-operative oedema is a common complication with occurrence in 40 to 50% cases. It only becomes evident three to five days after the surgery. It can become severe if not handled at the right time. The ways to minimise and prevent oedema should be explained properly to the patient. The common ways are massage, cold packs, steroids and NSAID drugs.
Asymmetry
Asymmetry means an uneven hairline and hair growth. Meticulous planning and marking of the recipient areas should be done to avoid asymmetry. The causes are the difference in the density of left and right part of the head, and a fault in the design markings. The design markings should be made by carefully examining it from all angles and also from a distance. the approval of the patient must be taken before finalising it.
Bleeding
Pre-operative evaluations should be done to screen the patient for a blood abnormalities or a history of NSAID drugs, alcohol, aspirin, smoking and other related medicines. These must be discontinued at least two weeks prior to the procedure. Incidences of haemorrhage are very small in number and can be controlled by giving compression to reduce any potential risk.
Folliculitis
Folliculitis is defined as the inflammation of the hair follicle. Post-operative hair folliculitis occurs in 1.1 % to 20% cases. It can occur both in the recipient for the donor areas. It is easily and totally treatable with drugs and warm compresses.
Shock Loss
The pre-existing hair enter recipient area may also undergo short loss or post-operative effluvium. This may happen usually 2-4 weeks after the surgery. In most cases these lost hair grow back after 2-3 months. Usage of minoxidil can effectively prevent this hair shock loss.
There are other rare occurrences of complications that may present themselves post the operation but the percentage is very low. It is advised that the patient should always remain in touch with the doctors and consult them about each occurrence and keep following the precautions after the operation is done. Hair transplant Surgery is a very successful surgery with the highest success rate ->90%. The hard part for patients is waiting for the hair to grow because all hair follicles follow their normal growth cycle and present themselves on the scalp accordingly!
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