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FUE, FUT OR FLUTE!

(Excerpts from Dr Tejinder Bhatti’s invited guest lecture at the International Hair Transplant Meeting at Apollo Hospital, Delhi on February 1, 2011. Attended by over 200 doctors practicing hair transplant from around the world)

FUE OR FLUTE!

A RATIONAL ADVICE BASED ON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

(FUT STRIP ALONE IS NOT ADVISED AT DARLING BUDS ANYMORE)

• Are FUE and FUT different hair transplant techniques? Yes, they are.
• They are variations of donor site graft harvesting. However, the type of graft taken does affect the growth. So results are affected by the technique you choose.
• 2011 Statistics at Darling Buds Hair Transplant Center, Chandigarh, have recently been compiled-
• How many cases we did in 2011?- 316
• How many done using FUE technique? – 297
• How many done using FUT technique? – Nil
• How many using FLUTE Combo technique? -15
• How many with other techniques? Flaps- 1, Scalp expansion- 4

What is FLUTE?

FLUTE refers to Follicular Unit Enhancement and is a combination of FUE and FUT methods. FLUTE brings to you the best advantages of each procedure and decreases their individual disadvantages.

Darling Buds Philosophy:

Please read the mail from a client of Darling Buds-

“The hair transplantation market is so vitiated today like never before due to huge competition. The hapless client does not know whom to believe- should he believe the “FUE only physician” or the “FUT only surgeon”. Amidst this hardsell, I found Dr Bhatti’s clinic nestled in a cosy township at the foot of the Himalayas at Chandigarh, India. Chandigarh can be regarded as a suburb of Delhi, the capital of India. Dr Tejinder Bhatti is one of a very few plastic surgeons the world over who practice all the various techniques of hair transplantation, be it FUE or FLUTE with skills honed out of years of hair transplant practice giving the best results possible. I chose him since he gave me good, wholesome, sane advice. I got FUE done from him 2 months ago.”- Timothy Haddington, US Embassy official

Many clients come to Darling Buds seeking only FUE and when asked why they want FUE, they make either of the following remarks-

1. “Doc, I want an FUE since it is scarless!”
2. “Doc, I want an FUE it gives more density!”
3. “Doc, I want an FUE since there is less bleeding!”
4. “Doc, I want an FUE since there is no surgical wound!”
5. l “Doc, I want an FUE since it’s the brand new technique!”

Dr Tejinder Bhatti is one of the few hair transplant surgeons in the world who have the facility to do both strip (FUT) and FUE procedures in their busy practice. Dr Tejinder Bhatti still maintains a staff of 15 people which is a requirement for FUT technique which is more of a surgical procedure than FUE. With his rigorous training in plastic surgery and tissue handling, he has realized that there is no “one-technique-fits-all” in hair transplantation. Surgeons who claim to be “FUE ONLY” physicians offer FUE due to compulsion since they cannot invest heavily in an advanced FUT laboratory which involves 7 stereomicroscopes and a staff of minimum 10 in strength. They also do not have a facility that is permitted for surgical procedures like FUT. Or they may not have the skills to give a minimal scar to FUT clients and hence they have done away with this technique which requires a very high form of skill and leadership to manage a large team of employees. FUE came as a boon to them in the other sense of the term. Dr Tejinder Bhatti’s earlier short stint in the Army Medical Corps has instilled leadership qualities in him as also a humane approach a doctor should be proud of.

At Darling Buds, Dr Tejinder Bhatti takes the client through the benefits and disadvantages of either technique of FUE and FLUTE as suited to the client’s peculiar individual requirement. Ofcourse FUE is not today restricted by a limited donor site so all candidates who have body hair can also benefit from this technique. Patient information is given honestly and ethically as per the position statements of the ISHRS (www.ishrs.org). It is then left to the client to decide which technique he or she would prefer. Dr Tejinder Bhatti is of the opinion that the well-informed client when empowered with knowledge would make the best decision. Once the decision is made, Dr Tejinder Bhatti respects the client’s decision and proceeds accordingly. This is the position of the center on choice of techniques, whether FUE or FLUTE. (Please note that Dr Bhatti actively discourages clients from going in for FUT alone. He feels FUT should be used only for advanced baldness where there is scant body hair. Here it is to be used in combination with FUE- this is our trademark technique for advanced baldness only).

There are many clients who chose a mix of FUT, FUE and BHT today (FLUTE Plus). The demand for body hair is rising. One client wanted his front 2 rows of hairline created with beard hair since it is strong and wiry!

Which cases are advised to get “FLUTE COMBO” or “FLUTE Plus” at Darling Buds:

1. Affordability is not a factor since all prices are affordable at Darling Buds.
2. Whenever >4000 roots are required in advanced pattern baldness (Type 5 & 6), the client is advised to get FLUTE Combo. Those who have body hair go in for the FLUTE Plus.
3. Elderly clients who cannot lie on their belly for period of one hour at a stretch- asthmatic, or obese clients.