The "art" of hair transplants

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Oct, 1996

If you are considering a hair transplant, it might help to know that industry standards have changed dramatically Today's hair creations are designed to look as natural on the beach as they do in the boardroom, maintains Matt L. Leavitt, president, the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. "Simply implanting grafts into a patient's head is not sufficient. They must be carefully arranged to provide a natural look."

Successful transplant practices rely on a team approach to care, with nurses playing an important role, from patient preparation to follow-up. "They take vitals, prepare patients, administer medications and local anesthetics, and take photos. During surgery, nurses help physicians by keeping hair away from surgical areas and organizing grafts. And after surgery, nurses take additional photos, bandage patients, and provide instructions and medications. They also call patients six hours after the procedure to ensure that there are no complications."

Though reclining surgical tables, scalpels, and bandages are just some of the items one can find in the offices of physicians who perform transplants, by no means are they the most important. All dermatologists who perform transplant surgery should have emergency equipment, such as defibrillators, oxygen tanks, and portable suction units, and should establish an emergency protocol for the office. Any physician who does outpatient surgery in his or her office who does not have emergency protocol is rolling the dice." During their consultation with the physician who performs the procedure, patients should ask if the office is properly equipped to handle an emergency.