Mohan Thomas

 

Objective: Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) are basically different methods of ‘harvesting’ hair. Both serve the purpose of isolating hair follicular unit grafts from the scalp for a hair transplant. So while FUE and FUT are often compared as two completely separate procedures, this is not exactly true. The main procedural difference is that in FUT the follicular unit grafts are harvested in a long thin strip from the donor area, whereas in FUE the grafts are extracted individually. We also undertake a combination of the two procedures when the patient is looking for an extensive coverage, has limited donor area or needs correction of the donor area due to a previous bad FUT donor scar.

Method: 5 patients each undergoing FUE, FUT and a combination of procedures done by the same team were undertaken for the study. The donor area, the hair growth pattern and the final outcomes were compared.

Results: There was no significant difference in the end result obtained by the patient undergoing any of the 3 procedures. The FUE was a less complicated method whereas the FUT has its benefits with regards to the number of grafts and the quality of harvested grafts. The combination procedure was very useful when a corrective surgery for the previous FUT scar and large sessions of hair transplant is planned in a single patient.

Conclusion: All methods gave wonderful aesthetic results in professional hands and it’s just a matter of having a less invasive surgery or not along with the extent of coverage that is planned in a single stage. Nowadays FUE method is more in demand than FUT Method but a combination technique is the only way maximum number of grafts can be harvested which is very helpful in corrective surgeries.