Effect of surgeon's workload on rate of transection during follicular unit excision/extraction (FUE).

OBJECTIVES

To compare the transection rate at the start and at the end of the FUE procedure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted in a private setup in patients undergoing first session of FUE surgery over 2000 grafts. Six areas of 1 cm were marked, two in midline and two on either side. All the procedures were undertaken by the single surgeon to avoid any bias. At the start of the surgery, the extraction of hair was performed in areas A1, A2, and A3. All the excised hair and transected hair were counted. The surgery was then completed but the remaining three areas (B1, B2, and B3) were left intact. Later, FUE was done in these areas. The excised hair and transected hair were counted. All the data were analyzed statistically by paired t test.

RESULTS

A total of 25 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 35.2 years. The transection rate was 5.3/cm in mid-zone, 4.4/cm on right side, and 5.7/cm on left side at the start and 27.7/cm in mid-zone, 25.6/cm on right side, and 24.2/cm on left side at the end. The transection rate increased from 5.03 to 6.0/cm for FUS <2500 but increased from 4.83 to 6.6/cm with FUs over 2500 and increased from 5.5 to 6.67/cm when FUs were over 3000.

CONCLUSION

The surgeon's workload increases the hair transection during FUE.