Patient Satisfaction in Hair Transplant Surgery

Objective: To assess the pattern of satisfaction among patients undergoing hair transplant surgery Study Design: Questionnaire Survey Place : Hair Transplant Institute, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on 100 consecutive patients undergoing hair transplant surgery. All the patients were given a detailed preoperative consultation. Hair transplants were performed using local anaesthesia with adrenaline alongwith a mild oral sedative. The procedure was performed using clean conditions, sterile and disposable instruments and magnification. The donor strip was harvested with patient in prone position. The closure of donor area was done using a non-absorbable suture. Postoperatively, no bandages were applied and patients began shampooing after 48 hours. The stitches were removed after 10-12 days. To assess patient satisfaction, a questionnaire was filled about the important factors pertaining to the patient experience during and after hair transplantation. Results: 98% of the patients rated the preoperative consultation as ‘excellent to good’, 2% as ‘satisfactory’, and none as ‘unsatisfactory’. 60% of the patients were ‘anxious’ during strip harvesting and 24% felt ‘normal’. 74% remained ‘normal’ on 1st postoperative night. 28% patients rated the overall experience as ‘excellent’, 38% as ‘good’. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction surveys should be performed on patients undergoing hair transplant surgery from time to time. This helps to identify factors which lead to satisfaction and hence help to improve the outcome of management