Ross Medical Hair Restoration, Inc
"Where physicians go for their hair restoration needs!"
1-(858)-546-0060
The morning of the hair transplantation procedure, you should eat a light breakfast and minimize your coffee intake. Upon arrival at our office in La Jolla, you will review our surgical consent form and you will be presented with a menu for choosing your complimentary lunch, as well as a list of over 300 DVD movies for your viewing enjoyment. After you are seated, Dr. Ross will meet with you to again discuss exactly what you would like to have done during the hair transplantation surgery. This is also a great opportunity to ask any additional questions you may have since your last visit. At this time we will take several digital photographs from various angles so that we have a record of your hair loss prior to hair restoration. These will be used for comparison purposes when you come in for your follow up visits. During this preparatory phase, you will be given a sedative (typically valium) to help calm your nerves and to allow you to rest easily during the hair transplantation procedure.
Next, Dr. Ross will shave the small area of your scalp which will be used as our donor region. The hair directly above this area will be taped up in such a way that it will later drop back down and cover the area where we worked. You will then be escorted into the first procedure room, where you will be prepped for hair transplantation surgery. Dr. Ross will next perform a series of small injections of a local anesthetic (lidocaine and/or marcaine) across the lower aspect of the donor area. The anesthesia step (typically lasting less than a minute) is usually considered to be the worst part of the day, very similar to the injections received at the dentist's office (some people relate it to a bee sting). The doctor will then remove the donor area as a single piece of tissue (many physicians use a different technique in which the donor area is removed in several small strips, a technique which saves time but leads to increased follicle transection and damage to the hair follicles). Once the donor tissue has been excised, it is immediately placed into a chilled sterile saline solution and is transferred to the cutting room for dissection into hair transplants. Once Dr. Ross sutures the incision closed, you will be escorted to the second operating room. Here, you will enjoy a short break before your movie selection(s) begin showing on the large screen television (with surround sound). This comfortable room is where you will be for the remainder of the hair transplantation procedure.
As you watch your movie (or fall asleep), Dr. Ross will numb the frontal area of your scalp (top of forehead) with more local anesthesia, and then proceed to make the recipient sites where the grafts are to be transplanted. Many patients fall asleep at some point during this process, as the recipient site formation should be pain free (your head will feel like you are wearing a helmet). The graft sites are very small slits, made with the tip of a needle shaped like a tiny scalpel. Considerable skill is required during this part of hair transplantation surgery, as the sites must be made at the correct depth, angle, and position in order to maximize the cosmetic results and minimize any damage to your existing hairs. Following the labor intensive follicular unit dissection and concurrent recipient site formation, the grafts are gently placed into the recipient sites using very fine-tipped jewelers forceps. Dr. Ross places a strong emphasis on separating the follicular units by size in order to ensure that the hairline is made up of single-haired follicles. This ensures that the hairline will be very soft and natural in appearance. The larger grafts (mostly 2- and 3-haired follicles) are placed further back on the scalp, where they are utilized more for the density they help provide. During the hair transplantation procedure, you and the staff will take a short break to eat lunch (and bathroom/stretch breaks are offered throughout the day).
Once the procedure has been completed, you will have a small bandage applied to the donor area. This looks similar to a headband and is to be worn overnight. The top of the head does not require a dressing. Before leaving the office, you will be given a small amount of dexamethasone to help minimize any post-operative swelling, and you will be given some medications which you will take for a few days following your hair transplantation surgery. These may include an antibiotic (usually either cephalexin or erythromycin), furosemide (a water pill- to also help reduce swelling), and potassium (works in concert with the furosemide pill). An optional prescription for pain medication will be provided as well (usually Lortab or Vicodin). The post-operative instructions will be carefully reviewed with you before you go home. These will include the directions for your medications, as well as a step-by-step list of what to do when you leave the office. You will also be provided with a phone number to be used to reach Dr. Ross after hours if any questions or concerns arise after you go home.
Now that you understand the steps in the hair transplantation procedure, find out if you are a viable candidate. Contact Ross Medical Hair Restoration in La Jolla, San Diego to schedule a free hair transplantation consultation.