Results: Clinical Investigation comparing FUT vs FUE

[Carlos Wesley, MD]

The work of a respected physician in our field, Dr. Michael L Beehner, may provide the most objective data yet comparing the yield of grafts using follicular unit transplantation (FUT) versus follicular unit extraction (FUE).

While I still believe that there are numerous methods not used in his investigation to optimize growth, the effort to minimize the number of variables that may influence survival rates of grafts was considerable. Ultimately, it’s important that physicians are proficient in both methods (FUT and FUE) in order to provide patients with unbiased and objective information regarding both methods of surgical hair restoration.

[Carlos Wesley, MD]

The solutions in which the transplanted hair follicles are stored when out of the body can have a profound impact on the ultimate procedural result. Here is a an example of a patient who had two FUT ("strip") procedures at a different surgical practice in NY before having an FUE session with our group. The images show him before and after the FUE session. Clearly, his results and graft survival were not consistent with the findings of this investigation.

[Driver]

This is clearly a very small and very limited study, but it does at least on the surface confirm a lot of what is suspected about FUT versus FUE.

[hanginginthewire]

I often wonder why FUE is so popular when there are so many drawbacks to it. Less yield, lower survival rate, reduced donor area. This thread here put the question to a poll and yet the results were overwhelmingly for FUE.

http://www.hairlosscure2020.com/two-...r-fue-and-bht/

Is it just fear of a scar? I don't get it.

[HTsoon]

I often wonder why FUE is so popular when there are so many drawbacks to it. Less yield, lower survival rate, reduced donor area. This thread here put the question to a poll and yet the results were overwhelmingly for FUE.

http://www.hairlosscure2020.com/two-...r-fue-and-bht/

Is it just fear of a scar? I don't get it.

To be honest there haven't been any conclusive studies that show the difference in yield is even visible, lower graft survival rate is also inconclusive because not all surgeons are created equal, in this particular study you have a surgeon who only performed about 10 FUE surgeries per year, my doctor performs more then 10 FUE surgeries per month, the difference of someone who only performs something 10 times a year compared to someone who does it everyday is going to be substantial.

In regards to "reduced donor area" its actually the opposite, with FUE you are able to take every graft in the "individual safe donor area" I say individual because the "safe donor area" of a strip is based upon Norwood VII level of baldness, however we know that this level of baldness is actually quite rare and the extreme, the vast majority of men if left untreated are more likely to progress to Norwood V,VI level of hair loss. Therefore, the safe donor area of a man who's Norwood VI is larger than that of a Norwood VII. A microscopic miniaturization evaluation of the donor area will help asses the "individual safe donor" area.

It's a shame that so many strip physicians demonize FUE as an inferior procedure, the truth is that FUE in the right hands can rival any FUT result, both procedures have their place in hair restoration, in my opinion there is no right or wrong, there is only what best fits the patient, with out a doubt combining both procedures will allow you to maximize your grafts, however if you choose a good surgeon the difference in yield from either or is negligible. With that being said, the learning curve for FUE is a lot higher and if a surgeon is not careful with extracting, removing, storing, and placing the grafts then the chances of a poor result are substantially increased. For this reason, I believe many surgeons choose not to learn FUE.

However, like anything practice makes perfect, and now there have been surgeons who have devoted their entire practice to perfecting FUE, and as such you see Norwood VI transformations utilizing only FUE like myself, this was unseen 10 years ago.

[pkipling]

I agree with everything HTsoon said above. There is so much misinformation out there, and the fear mongering surrounding FUE with "studies" such as this one don't do anything to help men who suffer from MPB and are looking for actual answers and guidance. Not all hair transplant surgeons are created equal, and people need to look at the work of individual doctors and the results they produce and steer clear of blanket statements you'll find online about how "Strip is better than FUE" and whatnot. As with most things in life, it's not really that black and white.
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I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff.