Complications of Hair Transplant Procedures—Causes and Management

Abstract

Hair transplant surgery per se has low risk, is relatively safe, and has minimum incidence of complications. However, it is a well-accepted fact that no medical science procedure exists without any potential risk of complications. The complication may be a single complaint in the form of pain, itching, dissatisfaction related to the procedure's outcome, or surgical complication in the form of infection, wound dehiscence or skin necrosis. Inadequate counselling increases unsatisfaction. Improper examination increases the complications, and incomplete medical history and history of allergy increases the risk during surgery.The author collected data of his 2896 patients, operated over a period of 10 years, and recorded the complains and complications. The most common complications were sterile folliculitis, noted in 203 patients, vasovagal shock in seven patients of, hypertensive crisis in one patient, hiccups in six patients, facial edema after hair transplant in 18 patients, graft dislodgement in 8 patients, infection in two diabetic patients, minor necrotic patches in recipient area in three patients, keloid development in one patient, numbness in 18 cases, and hypersensitivity in recipient and/or donor area. Donor area effluvium was seen in one case and three patients showed recipient area effluvium. Twenty-six patients were not happy with the results, and five cases showed partial loss of implanted hair. The overall significant life-threatening or major complications were zero, but the total minor complications' percentage was 0.10%.The key to minimize complaints and complications are detailed counselling, taking careful medical history and history of allergy, and proper examination of patients.

Técnicas de Transplante Capilar e suas Principais Complicações: uma Revisão Integrativa

“…Isso porque as cicatrizes são menos aparentes quando a extração dos folículos é realizada uma a uma, além do fato da flacidez e densidade da região doadora não serem fatores tão significativos para a realização do FUE. Vale notar que, na técnica FUT, há a possibilidade de necrose da cicatriz da área doadora, cicatriz hipertrófica ou queloide, neuroma doloroso e fístula arteriovenosa 2 .…”

“…Sand 1 destaca que mesmo com os avanços nas pesquisas que envolvem clonagem e células-tronco, frente a um suprimento limitado de cabelos clonados para uso observase limitações para o número de cabelos que podem ser transplantados. O couro cabeludo é comumente usado como área doadora, embora a barba e outras partes do corpo também possam ser usadas para a extração do bulbo capilar 2 . Para a realização do transplante, duas técnicas são amplamente utilizadas na atualidade: o Transplante de Unidade Folicular (FUT) e a Extração da Unidade Folicular (FUE).…”

Complications with Follicular Unit Excision

“…It is one of the most serious postoperative surgical complications we observe because donor depletion decreases future corrective surgeries (►Figs. [2][3][4].…”

“…Complications can also commonly include pain, bleeding, donor and recipient excessive crusting, graft dislodgement, postoperative effluvium, pruritus, and scalp hyper-or hypoesthesia. 1,2 When performed properly and best practices are followed, the practicing physician rarely encounters complications with FUE surgery. HRS clinical outcomes and cosmesis are typically very good in competently trained hands.…”

“…Hair diameter index calculationHair diameter index ¼ Average hair shaft diameter (in microns) Â Hair/cm2 …”