Sunday 19 January 2014

Day 0 : Procedure Time (Part 1) - FUT and FUE Extraction

I didn't sleep too badly the night before, the main thing I was worried about was waking up on time. The driver was scheduled to pick me up at 08.30h and was there waiting when I went downstairs. We'd booked an apartment near to the clinic which meant it was only a five minute drive.

As with every time I've been to the New Age Clinic, my mind was put at rest immediately by the charming Clinic Manager there, Taner. I read and signed some papers, consenting to the procedure and to acknowledge my understanding of what was going to happen, the possible risks and benefits. Then I was given a 10mg diazepam.

After some initial photos were taken, my hair was dyed (to make it easier to see transplanted grafts), and before I knew it I was face down having the local anaesthetic applied. Dr Ilker does this himself, as well as the graft extraction, trycho closure and opening of the channels. What I liked about this particular clinic was the amount of time you get with the surgeon. In many of the other clinics I visited in Istanbul, a surgeon will plan your procedure but not carry it out personally - or perhaps will carry out part of it, but not all of it.

For my initial consultation by the way, Dr Ilker explained that he'd been carrying out FUT procedures for the last fifteen years. And because he's a member of ISHRS, I had confidence in his ability. Not to mention the many before and after photos I'd been shown, and the offer to speak to previous patients in my own country.

Back to the procedure. The first bit HURTS! Injections can be sharp, and my heart started racing. Dr Ilker assured me that was fairly normal (I've since read that there is an adrenalin substance in a lot of anaesthetic), and the nurse held my wrist to monitor my pulse. After I'd settled down a bit, the first part was to remove the strip. This had already been indicated and shaved to a different length by Dr Ilker earlier in the morning. This part didn't hurt- it felt like someone drawing a line with a pencil over my skin. Being face down you don't see anything.

I'd also read that the closure technique can smell bad, but this wasn't my experience. After the strip was removed, the FUE grafts were extracted. This didn't hurt either really- just a gentle buzzing/vibration feeling. I actually dozed off a couple of times, waking myself up snoring! Actually, the most uncomfortable part was having my face squeezed through the pillow with a hole in it.

Extraction complete, and end of stage one!


Extraction done, in my scoop-neck gown (!) before the top of my head was shaved.


The three nurses, starting work on dividing the grafts up for me. 


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