Unger, Robin et al.: 2023 Hair Transplantation DOI: 10.1055/b-0042-191747
Section V Follicular Unit Extraction Procedure

53 The Advantages and Disadvantages of Follicular Unit Excision

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Editors: Unger, Robin; Shapiro, Ronald

Authors: Gupta, Aditya K.; McDonald, Adriane; Noreldin, Ahmed Adel; Bauman, Alan J.; Juliano, Alessandra; Abbasi, Ali; Dua, Aman; Christiano, Angela M.; O’Mara, Angela; Yong, Angeline Anning; Tosti, Antonella; Ruston, Antonio; Nusbaum, Aron G.; Poswal, Arvind; Shahmalak, Asim; Alp, Bayramoğlu; Nusbaum, Bernard P.; Farjo, Bessam; Feriduni, Bijan; Wolf, Bradley R.; Puig, Carlos J.; Varona, Christopher M.; Albertini, Conradin von; Ziering, Craig; Pathomvanich, Damkerng; Josephitis, David; Perez-Meza, David; Mangubat, E. Antonio; Ball, Edward A. M.; Poblet, Enrique; Eisenberg, Eric L.; Wang, Etienne C. E.; Rinaldi, Fabio; Jimenez, Francisco; Krenitsky, Gabriel H.; Williams, Greg; Abaci, Hasan Erbil; Radwanski, Henrique N.; Park, Jae Hyun; Hernandez, Irene; Harris, James A.; Vogel, James E.; Devroye, Jean; Irvine, Jeff; Epstein, Jeffrey; Cooley, Jerry E.; Shapiro, Jerry; Wong, Jerry; Kim, Jino; Jackow, Joanna; Cole, John; Dua, Kapil; Washenik, Ken; Williams, Ken; Erdogan, Koray; Sicco, Kristen Lo; Yagyu, Kuniyoshi; Bloch, Leila David; Santos, Leopoldo Duailibe; Avila, Lorena; Pontes, Luciana Takata; Khanna, Manoj; Avram, Marc R.; Pitchon, Marcelo; Crisóstomo, Márcio; Barusco, Marco N.; Sanseverino, Maria Angélica Muricy; Schambach, Marie A.; Unger, Mark; Speranzini, Mauro; Cole, Megan; Mayer, Melvin L.; Beehner, Michael L.; Neff, Mike; Mohmand, Mohammad H.; Ahmad, Muhammad; Rogers, Nicole E.; Large, Nicole; Farjo, Nilofer; Otberg, Nina; Desai, Nirav V.; Mohebi, Parsa; Frechet, Patrick; Mwamba, Patrick; Shapiro, Paul; Rose, Paul T.; Tesauro, Piero; Kinler, Rae Lynne P.; Rabbani, Ramin; Konior, Raymond J.; Kothottil, Renu; Lemos, Ricardo Gomes de; Mejia, Ricardo; Shiell, Richard C.; Finney, Robert; True, Robert H; Dorin, Robert J.; Haber, Robert S.; Unger, Robin; Shapiro, Ronald; Adajar, Ruel A.; Knudsen, Russell G.; Nadimi, Sahar; Lam, Samuel M.; Vasa, Sanjeev; Tovar, Sara Lea Salas; MD, Sara Wasserbauer; Boden, Scott A.; Keene, Sharon A.; Abbasi, Sheida; Kabaker, Sheldon S.; Kobren, Spencer David; Gabel, Steven; Hwang, Sungjoo “Tommy”; Nakatsui, Thomas C.; Carman, Timothy; Lardner, Tina; Elliott, Vance W.; Mysore, Venkataram; Unger, Walter P.; Rassman, William; Doucet, Yanne S.; MD, Young-Ran Lee; Guo, Zongyou

Title: Hair Transplantation

Print ISBN: 9781626236936; Online ISBN: 9781684202737; Book DOI: 10.1055/b000000335

Subjects: Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery;Dermatology

Thieme Clinical Collections (English Language)



 
Robert J. Dorin and Robert H. True

Summary

Follicular unit excision (FUE) offers advantages over the follicular unit transplantation (FUT) strip procedure when it is used on a good candidate and is executed with good planning and fidelity. These advantages are, at times, a “relative advantage” and depend on the patient’s perspective, expectations, desires, and fears. To some, aversion to having a liner scar is a salient concern, while to others, it makes no difference if a linear scar is generated if one can obtain 3,000 to 4,000 grafts in a single session and produce an acceptable scar. Yet, at other times, the differences of FUE versus FUT give rise to innate advantages and disadvantages independent of the patient’s desires, but rather as a function of the quantity and quality of each patient’s donor tissue. Every procedure that is old, new, and yet to be invented will have strengths and weaknesses and advantages and disadvantages. It is up to the physician to know and master these techniques and know when to utilize them in a manner that serves the patient as an individual and produce the best possible outcome. Clearly, the potential disadvantages of FUE are real and some of the limitations and concerns regarding its difficult learning curve, transection rate, and the long-term effect on donor supply are yet to be fully realized.

 
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