Hair-Bearing Flaps for Baldness
January 1985
in “
Facial Plastic Surgery
”
hair-bearing flaps temporoparietal-occipital flap TPO flap male pattern baldness male pattern alopecia superficial temporal artery local anesthesia hair density tip necrosis flap survival preauricular flap hair transplantation temporofrontal areas hair-bearing scalp flaps grafting hair-bearing transposition flaps hair flaps TPO flap baldness alopecia scalp flaps hair grafting hair transplants
TLDR Flap surgery is effective for treating male baldness, offering immediate results with dense hair growth.
In the 1985 document, the authors discussed the use of hair-bearing flaps, specifically the temporoparietal-occipital (TPO) flap, as a surgical treatment for male pattern baldness. They found that 75% of patients with male pattern alopecia could benefit from flap surgery, with 25% requiring a flap for satisfactory correction. The TPO flap, based on the superficial temporal artery, was performed in two stages under local anesthesia and designed to provide immediate results with a high density of hair. The authors reported gratifying results in over 85% of the 66 TPO flaps they performed, with less than 1 cm tip necrosis indicating high flap survival. They emphasized the advantages of hair-bearing scalp flaps over grafting, including immediate results and greater hair density. The document also described the preauricular flap as another technique for hair transplantation, particularly useful for covering the temporofrontal areas. Overall, the authors considered hair-bearing transposition flaps to be practical office procedures that add valuable options for plastic surgeons treating baldness.
