Before the procedure

When you've made your decision, we will set a date for the procedure.

An informed consent form will be given to you at least fifteen days prior to surgery, to be signed the day of surgery. Our staff will go over the general rules as well as your customized procedure. This part of the process will give you a summary of the decisions taken regarding the overall strategy for your surgery including the area to be covered during the procedure.

Below are some of the recommendations that will be provided to you by our staff:
 

Stop taking vitamin E for three weeks before surgery

Stop taking acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) one week before

Stop drinking alcohol one week before

Any other drug that may increase bleeding must be stopped one week prior to the intervention: Sintrom, plavix, Shampoo the night before and morning of surgery

Blood test with a complete formula, serology test HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C. Serology performed will allow us to take special precautions including appropriate treatment under the advice of the virologist in charge of the patient. It also helps protect the team by prophylactic treatment immediately in case of accidental exposure.

The personal and family history are also very important to prevent any potential problems, related to surgery and check any contraindications to surgery.

Valium - benzodiazepines: a benzodiazepine will be given half an hour before the intervention to reduce patient anxiety and thereby reduce the dose of anaesthetic to be administered. We thus avoid the toxic effects sometimes observed during the injection of large doses of anaesthetic.

Paracetamol will also be taken by the patient in order to reduce the discomfort caused by the initial injection of anaesthetic.

Local anaesthesia:
- Donor site (WAS): injection below the surface to be withdrawn, the dose will depend on the pain sensitivity of each patient. During a FUE, anaesthesia will be phased according to the surface to be sampled. Sometimes an occipital block is needed (anaesthesia of a major occipital nerve trunk to reduce the number of local injections).
- Recipient area (FUT and FUE) injection along the hairline and / or around the area to cover to make any surface insensitive; the dose will vary from one individual to another. A supraorbital block can also be used to reduce local injections.

During the surgery, sometimes it might become necessary to increase the anaesthesia sporadically. If it becomes repetitive, a trunk block may be necessary.