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Review
. 2021 Dec 31;54(4):477-482.
doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1739255. eCollection 2021 Oct.

Complications of Hair Transplant Procedures-Causes and Management

Anil Kumar Garg  1 , Seema Garg  1
Affiliations
Review

Complications of Hair Transplant Procedures-Causes and Management

Anil Kumar Garg et al. Indian J Plast Surg. .

Abstract

Hair transplant surgery per se has low risk, is relatively safe, and has minimum incidence of complications. However, it is a well-accepted fact that no medical science procedure exists without any potential risk of complications. The complication may be a single complaint in the form of pain, itching, dissatisfaction related to the procedure's outcome, or surgical complication in the form of infection, wound dehiscence or skin necrosis. Inadequate counselling increases unsatisfaction. Improper examination increases the complications, and incomplete medical history and history of allergy increases the risk during surgery. The author collected data of his 2896 patients, operated over a period of 10 years, and recorded the complains and complications. The most common complications were sterile folliculitis, noted in 203 patients, vasovagal shock in seven patients of, hypertensive crisis in one patient, hiccups in six patients, facial edema after hair transplant in 18 patients, graft dislodgement in 8 patients, infection in two diabetic patients, minor necrotic patches in recipient area in three patients, keloid development in one patient, numbness in 18 cases, and hypersensitivity in recipient and/or donor area. Donor area effluvium was seen in one case and three patients showed recipient area effluvium. Twenty-six patients were not happy with the results, and five cases showed partial loss of implanted hair. The overall significant life-threatening or major complications were zero, but the total minor complications' percentage was 0.10%. The key to minimize complaints and complications are detailed counselling, taking careful medical history and history of allergy, and proper examination of patients.

Keywords: hypertensive crisis; necrosis; scalp laxity; telogen effluvium; wound dehiscence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest none

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Showing necrosis of wound margin in postmastoid region, leading to dehiscence and healing by secondary intention, in a female patient operated by follicular unit transplantation (FUT).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Wide follicular unit transplantation (FUT) donor scar.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Atrophic wide follicular unit transplantation (FUT) donor scar.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) scar treated by scalp micropigmentation
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
This patient developed a keloid on one side of strip surgery along the suture line with complaints of itching, pain, and tenderness. Intralesion triamcinolone acetate injections treated him.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Hypopigmentation of follicular unit extraction (FUE) scars.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Donor area effluvium.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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