Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery
Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery is an article that aims to give you all the information you do not know about Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery and more. We kindly shared the main headings with you;
How Does Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery Work?
For Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery there are two variants of hair transplant robots, with differences in terms of technology and use. In order to detect, choose, and extract the grafts from the donor area and execute micrografts—the extracted grafts are typically between 0.8 and 1 mm long—both employ cutting-edge computerized technologies. At last, all of the removed grafts are undamaged and have a greater than 97% probability of growing back when they are re-implanted because of the automation of the process.Invest in your health, invest in a brighter future. Our comprehensive medical programs deliver real results, while you indulge in the beauty and serenity of our destination.
Meanwhile, some experts note that, unlike manual hair transplants, robotic hair restoration systems have the potential to harm nearby grafts. The medical professional doing the operation will sketch the donor and recipient areas after they have both been shaved. The patient has no pain during the process since tiny anesthetic injections are given to the working areas. Hair transplants can now be completed in half the time compared to manual procedures thanks to these non-invasive devices. Ten days following the surgery, the process is undetectable since they cause no harm to the epidermis and leave no scars.
Right now the great majority of hair restoration facilities with cutting edge equipment remove hair follicles using robots and manually re-implant them utilizing FUE (Follicular Unit remove) or DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) techniques. In order to augment hair growth, the process is combined with a PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) therapy, which entails drawing blood from the patient, centrifuging it, and then injecting it back into the desired location.
- Neograft SAFER Robot: In 2009, Neograft introduced the S.A.F.E.R. system—which translates as “safer”—as the first hair transplant support robot globally. The SAFER robot from Neograft is a compressed air punch, also known as a micro-punch, that is linked to the system and has a revolving micromotor that will remove and remove the follicles. In order to harvest the grafts, the surgeon will take the punch in hand, modify the rotary motor’s speed based on the type and quality of the hair, and pierce each graft individually, with each graft comprising one to five follicles. Following their removal, they are arranged in a row on sterile pads that have been dipped in saline solution. After harvesting is finished, the surgical team will sort and analyze the follicles, prepare the reimplantation site by micro-incising, injecting an anesthetic, and then manually plant the follicles that were previously harvested, in accordance with the FUE or DHI protocol.
- ARTAS Restoration Robotics: Developed in 2008 by Restoration Robotics, an American business, the ARTAS robotic hair transplant device was approved for commercial use in 2011. It is now the robot in the area of hair transplantation that is utilized the most extensively worldwide. The ARTAS device is a bigger device that is applied directly to the patient’s scalp and has automated punches and digital cameras. While the practitioner controls the procedure via a magnified image displayed on a screen thanks to the cameras, the robot autonomously identifies and harvests the most powerful and most prolific follicles using a number of algorithms. The surgical team regularly receives access to the grafts after they have been unloaded. The medical staff evaluates and sorts the follicles removed by the robotic systems using FUE and/or DHI method for a more natural result, before manually implanting the grafts after they have been harvested and properly kept in saline.
A modified version of the ARTAS robot that harvests and reimplants hair follicles was introduced in 2018 by Restoration Robotics (the business has subsequently merged with Venus Concept). This makes hair transplantation totally automated and far quicker than manual transplantation. The most skilled hair surgeons still, however, favor FUE and/or DHI transplantation due to the upfront costs, the minimal loss of grafted hair follicles, and the uncertainty surrounding the long-term outcomes of a fully robotic implantation. The ARTAS robot operates with exceptional precision and eliminates the possibility of human error, in contrast to Neograft, which demands the surgeon’s dexterity and experience. With its ability to harvest 500–1000 grafts each hour, the surgeon can concentrate all of his or her attention and energy on implanting the retrieved follicles in the bald area.
With the use of the ARTAS robot ,Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery, a surgical team can extract up to 6,000 follicles in a single day, particularly for men who are fully bald and have complete alopecia. A manual extraction hair transplant can only perform 3000–3500 grafts per day due to human weariness in both the surgical team and the patient. However, 2000–3500 follicle implants are typically needed for 90% of hair transplant procedures. Some experts in hair restoration surgery think that if more than 3,500 grafts are extracted, the patient’s scalp may sustain dermal stress from the extraction, which could hinder the donor area’s ability to recover.
Can Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery be applied to everyone?
Fine or frizzy hair is not suited for robotic extraction. The FDA has approved ,Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery,ARTAS for the implantation of hair transplants in males with androgenetic alopecia who have straight, black, or brown hair. This implies that not everyone is a good fit for a hair transplant using robotics. Additionally, it is claimed that the device can choose the donor area’s healthiest follicles and use them for implantation. Of course, in order to have this operation done, the patient needs to have a suitable donor area.
The most popular donor location, the occiput, or side of the skull, is a simple place to use the ARTAS robot. But unlike manual extraction, which may be done anywhere, especially for patients with total alopecia, when grafts must be collected anywhere rather than on the skull, it does not let grafts to be harvested anywhere else, on areas like the neck, face, or chest.
Disadvantages of Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery
- Limited eligible patients: One of the most significant drawbacks of ARTAS, which is rarely mentioned, is how limited the patient types it can be used for are. Only individuals with dark, straight hair are eligible to utilize ARTAS.
- Limited donor area: When there is not enough hair on the back of the head, many patients need an extended donor area. In this instance, ARTAS is useless because it can only remove hair from the sides and back of the head.
- Harm while applying: The extraction of follicles by ARTAS involves the use of large diameter punches, which may cause difficulties in the healing process and harm close follicles.
- Success rate: A surgeon with experience can expect a 97-95% survival rate. The ARTAS robot’s survivability rate is approximately 90%, which is significantly lower.
Additionally, the following are possible negative effects of robotic hair transplantation:
- Tightness in the scalp
- Virus Infection
- Injury to the nerves
- Inflammatory response
- Development of cysts
- Bloating
- Gushing blood
Which Hair Transplant Method to Use; Manual or Robotic?
The robotic hair transplant will be more or less appropriate based upon your hair type and the extent of the area to be covered. Following an examination of your hair loss issue and your surgeon’s diagnosis, its application can be decided. Many practitioners these days choose to combine various techniques, leaving the harvesting to the machine if your hair type is suitable, and implanting the retrieved follicles in accordance with the FUE and/or DHI protocol.
For men with early and moderate baldness and women with partial or widespread alopecia, IFA is the most suitable treatment. Patients who want to conceal scars or repair their eyebrows can also use it.
- FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction): It’s a manual hair transplant procedure. It can be used only during the implantation stage or for the entirety of the procedure (extraction and implantation).
- FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation): is the most traditional method of hair transplantation. The procedure entails taking off a about 25 cm by 10 cm strip of scalp from the cranial occiput, extracting the hair follicles, replanting them on the area that is hairless, and sealing the donor area with staples or sutures. Its drawbacks include increased pain and scarring the donor site, which makes it less and less common among specialists.
- DHI (Direct Hair Implantation): is a hair transplant done by a clinic surgeon using a Choi punch pen, which allows for the nearly instantaneous extraction and reimplantation of follicles. Although this method of hair transplantation is the smallest and most accurate, it also requires the most amount of skill and dexterity from the practitioner, making it the most expensive option.
A customized version of the ARTAS robot that harvests and reimplants hair follicles was introduced in 2018 by Restoration Robotics (the business has subsequently merged with Venus Concept). This makes hair transplantation totally automated and far quicker than manual transplantation. In some specialized clinics, this gadget is being used to treat more patients for less money. The most skilled hair surgeons still, however, favor FUE and/or DHI transplantation due to the upfront costs, the minimal loss of grafted hair follicles, and the uncertainty surrounding the long-term outcomes of a fully robotic implantation.
The ARTAS robot operates with exceptional precision and eliminates the possibility of human error, in contrast to Neograft, which demands the surgeon’s dexterity and experience. With its ability to harvest 500–1000 grafts each hour, the surgeon can concentrate all of his or her attention and energy on implanting the retrieved follicles in the bald area.
A surgical team assisted by the ARTAS robot can extract up to 6,000 follicles in a one-day session, especially for completely bald men with complete alopecia. Due to human fatigue (of both the patient and the surgical team), a hair transplant with manual extraction is limited to 3000-3500 grafts per day. However, 90% of hair transplant operations generally require between 2000 and 3500 follicle implants. Some hair surgery specialists believe that beyond 3,500 grafts removed, the extraction can create dermal trauma to the patient’s scalp, thus compromising the regrowth of the donor area.
Robotic technologies are said to have the advantage of extracting follicles considerably more quickly than manual extraction and implantation. Patients frequently forfeit quality and accuracy, which is essential for achieving a great outcome, in lieu of these quick benefits. Comparing robotic hair transplant equipment to more conventional methods, there has been evidence of higher transaction rates—unintentional follicle destruction. Until advancements are made, many doctors are giving up on robotic surgery equipment. Because robotic hair transplant surgery is less widespread and frequently comes with manufacturer royalties, it generally costs more than other forms of hair transplant surgeries.
To examine the extraction site and pay close attention to every follicle, the hair transplant surgeon utilizes a high magnification. In order to achieve the lowest transection rates, they extract follicles one at a time, adjusting the extraction punch’s rotation, oscillation, and depth to fit the particular angle and qualities of each follicle. Working manually enables the physician to place the follicles into the scalp at the proper depth and angle, ensuring that the follicle is not harmed during implantation and that no noticeable scarring forms after the procedure.The direction of the existing hair and even the angles and direction of the curl will dictate the proper angle of the incision. Instead than leaving patients with hair growing at strange angles and plug-like incisions, which may be a dead giveaway of a badly done hair transplant, this helps to provide a fantastic, natural-looking result.
A successful and attractive hairline and overall hair transplant are made possible by small things like these. Nothing compares to a manual FUE hair transplant performed by a highly competent hair transplant surgeon who is only focused on providing the best possible outcome for their patient. You want someone who doesn’t just watch technicians supervise a robot; you want someone who actively participates in the process from beginning to end. Which treatment option you choose ultimately comes down to personal preferences and the surgeon providing the care.