ISHRS Meeting in Coronado, California, October 19-22, 2006: The recent meeting of the International Society for Hair Restoration Surgery was held on Coronado Island, California, at the Hotel Del Coronado. 750 hair transplant surgeons from all over the world gathered to discuss the latest techniques with respect to hair restoration surgery.
Follicular unit grafting was again discussed, with advantages and pitfalls. Follicular units consist of naturally occurring groups of 1 to 4 hairs present on the donor scalp. If too many are planted at one time, or if they are placed too closely together, not all of the grafts may “take” or “grow”, therefore limiting the number that can be placed in any one session.
One presentation centered upon the use of gold thread for closure of the donor area. This sounds like a good idea but is quite an expensive closure!
Graft storage solutions were discussed, many of which contain electrolytes, amino acids, sugars, and other preservatives. Many of these seem to offer enhanced survival of the grafts vs. standard saline (salt water).
Hair repair work was emphasized, and you should examine our section on “Hair Repair Surgery.” Hairline design was another feature at the meeting, and you will be able to see the intricacies involved in this technique if you examine our numerous “before” and “after” photographs.
Unfortunately, hair follicle cloning still has not been perfected. Also, to our chagrin, we still have not identified the gene responsible for male pattern or female pattern baldness.
Live patients were presented at the meeting, following transplants by various surgeons. Unfortunately, many of the patients who had had “mega sessions” demonstrated only 30% to 50% growth rates for their large numbers of grafts.
It is important to select an experienced private practitioner rather than a “chain” hair transplant group, several of which you may have seen in the yellow pages or on various websites. A physician who has been in practice for more than two decades has perfected the technique with feedback via long term patient follow up.
You may have visited various website hair surgeon groups, and these were also in evidence at the meeting. However, a surgeon’s listing on the group is predicated only on the ability to pay $5,000 to $10,000 per year to be on the website.
Should you have any questions concerning your hair loss, you may contact us at (303)744-1202, or e-mail questions or photos to cmrc@pcisys.net.
|
