MyWHTC Forum

The “FUE versus Strip” debate has more or less died down over the past few years. Given the recent advances with both surgeries, as well advances in hair restoration in general, it is fair to say that both surgeries have a place in the field. While most progressive hair transplant surgeons have come to embrace FUE, on one level or another, there is still the question of how the surgery should be applied.

Some individuals believe that, given the labor-intensiveness of work, FUE is i for small sessions. We agree. But because we perform the surgery week in and week out, averaging between 1,000 and 2,000 grafts per day, we would also contend that FIT/FUE is feasible and indeed advisable for large sessions as well. Under i conditions, Dr. Mwamba and his surgical team can harvest 4,000+ grafts during a Follicular Isolation mega-session. This type of procedure is done over 2 or 3 consecutive days. Please bear in mind, though, that we do not perform the FIT/FUE mega-session simply because we can. Rather, we strongly believe that Follicular Isolation harvesting offers an advantage over strip harvesting in terms of graft survival. 

Dr. Bobby Limmer, the famous American surgeon and hair transplant pioneer, conducted an excellent study from which he concluded that grafts survival declines as time-out-of-body increased. His data suggests that, after the grafts are out-of-body for 2 hours, one can expect 95% graft survival. After 4 hours, it drops to 90%. After 6 hours, 88%. After 8 hours, 86%. After 24 hours, 79%. After 48 hours, 54%. Clearly, time is a major factor.
 
In many ways strip excision lends itself to the mega-session. The problem, however, is that, with strip, the donor tissue may be out-of-body for 6 hours or more. This is due to the fact that, with this type of procedure, all the donor tissue is removed at once. It must then be slivered and cut into tiny grafts prior to placing the units in the recipient area. As you might imagine, there is some serious lag time between excision and placement. 

With FIT/FUE, we eliminate much of this lag time and, therefore, reduce time-out-body for the grafts. We keep grafts out-of-body for less than an hour and, in most cases, the extracted grafts are immediately planted in the recipient area. A single graft can literally be extracted and placed into a recipient incision in a matter of seconds. The result: better overall graft survival.

As previously mentioned, the FIT/FUE mega-session (3,000 – 4,000+ grafts) typically takes 2-3 consecutive days. We want all our patients to have a great experience at our clinic. We find that breaking up large surgeries over a few days can decrease the stress and discomfort associated with being in the same position for too long. We also prefer to work in a way that enables the patient to sit, watch movies, and interact with the surgical team. This is quite different from some other FUE practices where patients are asked to lay face down during donor extraction.  At WHTC, we strive to make every day of surgery joyful and comfortable for both the patient and the staff. 

Ultimately, whether you require a small touch-up or a big mega-session, we will take each and every measure to deliver the most natural, the most beautiful, and the most perfect results.