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Published on: January 27, 2018
Extensive Scarring Alopecia Treated Through a Single Dense-Packing Follicular Unit Extraction Megasession
De-Cong Zhu1, Pei-Hua Liu2, Zhe-Xiang Fan1
1Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Background:
Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is becoming more popular in hair restoration. However, its potential for treating extensive scarring alopecia is unknown.
Methods:
Patients with scarring alopecia larger than 100 cm2 were enrolled from 2015 to 2018. After assessing scar quality regarding vascularity, pliability, and thickness, dense-packing megasession (DPM)-FUE was performed on high-quality recipient sites. Patients were followed up at 1 week and 12 months postoperatively to evaluate complications, survival rates of grafts, and patient satisfactions. Cases of nonscarring alopecia were reviewed as controls.
Results:
Fifty-two scarring alopecia and 55 nonscarring alopecia patients were enrolled. The mean scar area was 120 cm2, and the procedure required an average of 8 operative hours, with no difference between groups (p > .05). Graft amount and postoperative complications were similar as well (p > .05). The survival rate in scarring alopecia was lower than that in the control but was still 85% (p < .05). Follow-up photographs showed effective scar camouflage after DPM-FUE. Most patients were very satisfied with the final results (p > .05).
Conclusion:
DPM-FUE is a safe and effective treatment for extensive scarring alopecia.
