Dissecting Microscope in the Preparation of Follicular Unit Grafts: Summary

Robert M. Bernstein, MD, New York, NY
William R. Rassman, MD, Los Angeles, CA

Dermatologic Surgery 1998; 24(8): 875-880.

Background

The increasing importance that hair transplant surgeons are placing on maintaining the integrity of the naturally occurring follicular unit, has generated great interest in finding the ideal method of graft dissection.

Objective

The present study attempts to compare two popular dissecting techniques; the dissecting microscope, and magnifying loops with transillumination, in the preparation of follicular unit grafts.

Methods

Donor strips from forty one patients were used in a prospective, bilateral controlled fashion to compare the two different dissecting techniques.

Results

Microscopic dissection produced a 17% greater yield of hair as compared to magnifying loops with transillumination.

Conclusion

The results of this study show an increase in the yield of follicular unit grafts, as well as the total amount of hair harvested from the donor strip, when using the dissecting microscope as compared to magnifying loops with transillumination. This increase was observed when only the latter part of the dissecting procedure was studied. When complete microscopic dissection is used, the advantage should be even more significant.