Verifying the Number of Grafts Implanted During Hair Transplant Surgery?

Although hair transplantation is not an exact science (in fact, most physicians state that medicine, in general, is as much an art as a science), when it comes to hair transplant surgery many patients desire an accurate, objective outline of the procedure.

One of the areas hair restoration patients desire precise data is in graft count verification. Specifically, patients desire a way to verify that they receive (roughly) the number of follicular unit grafts estimated during the hair transplant consultation and paid for during the time of the operation.

However, in various cases, hair transplant procedures can range from 3,000 – 5,000 grafts, and it’s difficult to keep track of each follicular unit as it’s harvested, prepared, and implanted. So, how are hair loss patients supposed to “keep track” of the number of implanted grafts, and ensure that they receive the correct, quoted number of follicular units?

In a recent thread on our Hair Loss Discussion Forums, a group of patients asked themselves the exact same question and came to some innovative and creative conclusions.

Several patients stated that a final count was provided at the end of the procedure, and since they visited a trusted hair transplant surgeon, they safely assumed the graft count was accurate. Another member explained how he used a “clicker” to keep track of the incisions made in the scalp; a different member used a similar method, but simply counted the number of incisions instead of keeping track with a clicker device.

One hair loss patient recommended taking a picture of the post-operative scalp, creating a box of known area in a photoshop program, placing this box over an area of scalp, counting the number of grafts in this area, “copying and pasting” these boxes over the transplanted area (in the image) until the entire scalp is covered, then simply multiplying the number of boxes by the grafts counted in the original box for a grand total!

While it’s uncertain which method most accurately counts the number of follicular unit grafts received, it is clear that these creative suggestions may help hair transplant patients monitor and verify the number of implanted grafts received during the procedure.

Do you have a unique and interesting idea to help verify the number of follicular units implanted during a hair transplant procedure? If so, feel free to visit the discussion topic and share your input: How to Verify the Amount of Grafts

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Blake Bloxham – formerly “Future_HT_Doc”

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

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