Would You Let A Robot Transplant Your Hair?
11th November 2013
We were privileged to welcome doctors from around the globe at the Farjo Hair Institute last week, who gathered to learn about the ARTAS Robotic System, which was showcased at our Manchester premises. They witnessed us demonstrate the new technology and live case studies.
The robotic system allows surgeons to work with extra precision when extracting hair follicles for transplantation, compared to manual or motorised extraction. It also enables consistent automatic photo-mapping of the existing hair distribution, to ensure the most densely populated areas are chosen for harvesting, and an ability to work without breaks or tiredness – a human risk when performing any surgery!
At the workshop, hair surgeons gained access to the ARTAS system, and watched the robot at work. They also had the chance to chat to doctors and patients alike, about their experience of surgery by the robot.
ARTAS is controlled by the surgeon. It operates by scanning the scalp to identify the most densely populated areas of hair, and takes grafts from those areas. This means that patients will see an excellent end result, with all grafts taken from areas with thick hair growth – meaning that the donor areas are almost impossible to detect.
Hairs are harvested by follicular unit extraction (FUE), which means individual hair grafts taken and then moved to the area suffering hair loss. FUE is a slightly less commonplace practice than strip surgery (FUT), which sees a strip of hair-bearing skin taken from the back of the head and moved to the area in need of more hair. Robotic FUE simply allows surgeons to work with more precision than simple manual or motorised FUE. It leaves patients with no linear scars in the donor site – which can be particularly relevant for those who wish to sport a very short hairstyle.
Hair transplants are the UK’s most common cosmetic surgical procedure for men, so it’s particularly apt that the industry has developed this revolutionary robot – we’ve got to keep up with the times, after all!
