Serial Extraction and Placement Technique

This groundbreaking hair transplantation method, initially developed by Dr. Parsa Mohebi, allows the surgical team to work in sequences and implant FUE grafts as early as possible after they are out.

We know hair grafts can stay out of the body for several hours providing they are in optimum condition and also in special solutions. However, studies show the viability of hair follicles diminishes the longer they are out of the body. The serial extraction placement method minimizes the total out-of-body time experienced by the hair grafts which improves their overall survival rate. While using serial extraction and placement method adds to the overall time of the procedure, it definitely increases the viability and growth of transplanted follicular grafts.

How does it Work?

Los Angeles Hair Transplant Center: Serial Extraction FUE — Follicular unit grafts are harvested in smaller sessions followed by implantation of grafts before the next set of extraction and implantation.

The serial FUE extraction and placement technique minimizes the total time the grafts stay out of the body by breaking the procedure into smaller sections. Hair transplant was traditionally done by extracting all grafts and then implanting them into the balding areas. In this method, the procedure time is broken down into mini-sessions of extraction and placement. While the surgeon takes care of scoring and detaching the grafts from the donor area, the surgical assistants pull them out and place them in a holding solution in an optimized temperature. Within 2 hours from the time the grafts are extracted, they are implanted into the pre-made incisions in the skin. The pre-made incisions allow for swift graft placement immediately after they are extracted from the patient. The shorter time the grafts spend out of the body has also decreased the wait time (out-of-body time) for the grafts to settle into their new home. We believe that this technique is an important factor that has improved the final outcome for FUE hair transplant patients.

Flow of the Day

Beverly Hills Hair Transplant Center: Chasing Method of FUE Hair Transplant — Chasing method – grafts are removed from donor area shortly after they are scored by the doctor

Serial extraction placement technique can be performed with almost any FUE instrument including manual punch technique, motorized and robotic hair restoration. Our expert team has developed a system that allows a harmonic collaboration of both surgeon and other team members to not only improve the viability of the grafts but to also give a better overall experience to our FUE patients.

Unlike the traditional FUE procedure that requires the patient to stay in the same position for several hours, the patient’s position constantly changes during this procedure since the harvesting and placing teams should work alternatively to remove and place the grafts.

The field of FUE transplantation is constantly evolving and our methods of performing hair transplant procedures continue to improve. The amount of recovery time after a procedure has lessened and visible scars after a transplant are almost nonexistent. Our practice continues to lead the way towards safer and more efficient hair restoration options that will continue to guarantee the satisfaction of our patients.