ISHRS Legal Update: Delegation of Surgery in Hair Transplantation
November 2016
in “
Hair transplant forum international
”
TLDR Hair transplant surgery should only be done by licensed professionals, as many states don't allow unlicensed personnel to perform it.
In 2016, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) shared legal developments regarding the delegation of hair restoration procedures to unlicensed personnel. The authority for physicians to delegate such tasks varies by state in the U.S., with many states prohibiting the delegation of surgery or medical tasks to unlicensed personnel. The Florida Board of Medicine issued a statement in June 2016, stating that surgical excisions and incisions related to skin graft transplantation cannot be delegated to unlicensed personnel. This stance was supported by the Florida Medical Association and was consistent with a 2011 decision by the Virginia Board of Medicine. The ISHRS's position is that these procedures should only be performed by a properly trained and licensed physician or, where allowed, a licensed allied health professional. The ISHRS encouraged those involved in hair restoration surgery to understand the legal restrictions on delegation in their practice jurisdictions.