Complications With Follicular Unit Excision

Hair restoration surgery (HRS), including follicular unit excision (FUE) donor harvesting, is generally safe with rare complications when performed by trained physicians following high ethical and community practice standards. However, FUE is a challenging technique requiring a long learning curve, physical stamina, and high hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. Complications with FUE are similar to those with linear strip excision (LSE) and can occur even with standard precautions. Increasingly, complications are observed when physicians fail to follow hair restoration practice standards and routine surgical precautions, particularly when the procedure is performed by untrained licensed surgeons or delegated to unlicensed and untrained individuals. These physician-induced or iatrogenic complications result in poor aesthetic outcomes.