A Webcast You’ll Want to Watch

Those considering hair restoration, interested in FUE and curious about the new robotic-assisted ARTAS™ System will want to mark their calendars for this Friday, October 28. Spencer Kobren–founder of The American Hair Loss Association and The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons–is hosting a special webcast on the ARTAS. Because Spencer is also one of the nation’s leading communicators regarding hair loss, restoration advances, and the art and science of FUE, I’m particularly pleased to be part of the presentation.  Experience tells me this will be a lively discussion.

The ARTAS, as you may know, is the first—and only—image-guided system for follicular unit (FUE) harvesting. Physician-guided and interactive, it is the next-level option for people seeking FUE hair restoration for male-pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). The system was rigorously reviewed in multiple clinics for more than two years before its introduction and was cleared by the FDA in early 2011.  Patients have an added assurance of safety and comfort, as well, as the system continuously monitors and dynamically compensates for any patient movement in true real-time.

Here are the details:

Date: Friday, October 28, 2011

Time: 10 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time)

Site: www.thebaldtruth.com

FUE and New Frontiers

We’re at the midpoint of the The ISHRS Annual Scientific Meeting.  Yesterday’s focus was on FUE, and I presented during the afternoon—The Analysis of the Measured Area of FUE Extraction Donor Zones Utilizing Dissecting Punches of Different Sizes. While the topic may not sound terribly exciting to those of us not in the field, hair restoration surgeons will back me up when I say it’s an essential consideration for optimal outcomes.

And that’s why we’re all here. The best never stop learning, particularly in a field as dynamic as this. The topics on our agenda this week range from the biological—such as breakthroughs in cell therapy—to the technological—including robotic breakthroughs and our own powered SAFE Scribe. Time is dedicated, too, for a thorough discussion of “Difficult and Atypical Cases.”

For surgeons just entering hair restoration as well as those us who have been practicing this specialty for decades, it’s an opportunity to take our skills, our practices and our profession to the next, exciting level.

Seeing ARTAS in action

Thanks to our web wizard Erik Oberhausen (www.upperhouse.us), we’re now able to share some close-ups of the ARTAS robotic-assisted hair restoration system in action via YouTube. It was early last month that HSC became the first practice internationally to secure this first-of-its-kind technology.

There are seven clips in this initial series, showing the unit calculating optimal targets, the video monitors guiding selection, patient experience and more. Do visit http://www.youtube.com/user/hairrestorationrobot#p/u if you’re curious, either from a practitioner’s perspective or as a potential recipient. If you’re among the latter, please keep in mind that, while the images are not excessively graphic, this is a surgical procedure.

Happy Dance

Positive feedback is always nice.

But when a colleague’s comment makes you laugh out loud, it’s worth sharing.

Just received this note from a fellow hair restoration physician who recently made our powered SAFE Scribe system part of his practice.  He wrote:

“Used the SAFE powered punch for the first time on Monday. I did it for extraction of hairline zone grafts.  Jim, I was blown away by how easy and well it worked. I did a little dance in the OR!”

The mental image of his dancing made my day.  So did knowing that his comfort level with those all-important hairline zone grafts had risen significantly the first time out. For all of us committed to superior FUE outcomes, that confidence translates directly to patient satisfaction.

Here’s to more dancing in the O.R.