Commentary

In the commentary from August 2003, the author discusses the potential risks of prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, being transmitted through surgical instruments that are resistant to traditional sterilization methods. The paper "Disposable Instrumentation: The Future of Hair Restoration Surgery" by Colin Westwood, M.D., suggests the use of disposable instruments in hair transplantation to mitigate this risk. The author of the commentary, Walter P. Unger, MD, acknowledges the concern but points out that transmission via surgical instruments is unproven and the diseases are rare. He suggests that until a case of prion disease transmission through contaminated instruments is documented, it may be more sensible to continue using well-washed reusable instruments. However, he also recognizes that some may prefer the use of new instruments for each patient due to the uncertainty of future diseases and the relatively low cost of instruments compared to the overall procedure. Colin Westwood, M.D., responds by agreeing with the commentary and notes that while the risk from reusable instruments is likely very small, patients might prefer to pay more for disposable instruments, especially in cosmetic procedures where the instrument cost is a small fraction of the total cost.