Q: I have read that a lot of doctors today administer Midazolam (Versed) to sedate the patient. I have two questions in reference to this drug: 1) How does the doctor determine how much of a dose to administer to the patient and 2) is the drug administered all at once, or intermittently throughout the procedure?

A: Each doctor has a different protocol, so it is hard to generalize. At Bernstein Medical we usually use Versed 2 to 4 mg IM one time 10 minutes prior to giving the local anesthesia. The dose is not repeated.

We also use Valium 5-15mg by mouth. I determine the dose of each based on body weight and history of sensitivity to sedatives.

Q: Dr. Bernstein, is a follicular unit hair transplant, the way you perform it, very painful? A: We perform our hair transplant procedures using long-acting, local anesthesia, so after the initial injections, the patient doesn’t experience any pain or discomfort. The local anesthesia (a combination of Lidocaine and Marcaine) lasts about 4-5 hours. For long [...]