Q: Is it true that performing FUE hair transplant procedures by hand is better because the physician can better adjust and feel the follicle when extracting? — M.H. ~ Great Neck, N.Y.
A: The ARTAS robot is a physician controlled, computerized device that uses a three-dimensional optical system to isolate follicular units from the back of the scalp in a hair transplant. The robotic system assists the physician in the extraction of grafts with precision and speed. Although there is some advantage to having “human feel” for the tissue, this is far outweighed by the fact that repetitive procedures performed manually thousands of times lead to operator fatigue and result in increased transection and damage to grafts. With the ARTAS robotic system, the quality of the first and the last graft harvested will be the same.
Robert M. Bernstein, MD, MBA, FAAD has been recognized by his peers with inclusion in his eighteenth consecutive edition of New York Magazine’s annual ‘Best Doctors in New York’ issue. Dr. Bernstein helped re-invent hair transplant surgery by pioneering the Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) procedure and by becoming an early proponent of robotic hair transplant surgery (Robotic FUE). He is the only hair restoration surgeon named to the prestigious “Best Doctors” list for as many years. Of being included in the 2017 issue, he said: “New York has some of the finest doctors in the world, so to be considered among the best by my peers is quite an honor. It is equally satisfying when a patient tells us that we helped change their life.”
In April 2017, Bernstein Medical became the first hair restoration practice to perform robotic hair transplant surgery using the new ARTAS Robotic System 9x. ARTAS 9x is a major upgrade of the hair transplant robot, enabling faster and more precise Robotic FUE procedures. Some of the hardware improvements to the system include a white light LED, color camera and tensioner, 20-gauge harvesting needle, robotic base extender, new needle mechanism cover, and more comfortable headrest and halo. Software upgrades include better scar detection, faster harvesting, ability to zoom in to the main viewing screen, and improved ARTAS Hair Studio software. 
Dr. Bernstein closed the 2017 ARTAS Users Meeting with a discussion of five advanced techniques in robotic hair transplant procedures that he developed at Bernstein Medical. His presentation covered the benefits of pre-making recipient sites, long-hair FUE, tensioner placement, feathering edges in harvesting, and robotic graft selection. The “Hair Restoration Pearls” presentation included case studies, photographs, and videos demonstrating the techniques to the audience of hair restoration physicians. The two-day affair; which was held in Coronado, California; was a huge success, with over 260 attendees from around the world representing 204 robotic hair restoration practices.
