Direct View Donor Harvesting
Presented by Dr. Steven C. Chang
in International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery 12th
Annual Meeting: August 2004 at Vancouver, Canada.
Introduction
Even if we check the donor cutting from time to time during donor
harvesting, it is always too late. The damages are already done.
By using the direct vision method (keep cutting area open all
the time), we can correct the direction right away.
Objective
To improve the quality of donor harvesting, at the same time prevent
nerve and vascular damage.
Materials and Methods
Material: Two skin hooks.
Method: One hook held by the surgeon,
another one held by the surgical technician. Try to open the incision
all the time. And check the lowest incision every time when you
change the hook location.
Trick of correction:
“See head to head, see tail to tail”-will explain
during presentation
Discussion/Result
1. Knowledge of follicular direction at different parts of the
scalp
2. Observation of hair angle and flow
3. Tumescent
4. Wedge Blade
5. At the edge areas-Dr. Pathomvanich’s approach
Conclusion
The advantages of the direct vision method:
1. Take 3 minutes to learn
2. One to Two minutes to cut
3. Reduce the trans-section rate right away (no learning curve)
4. Useful for both Strips and Ellipse harvesting methods
