From HealthNewsDigest.com

Surgery
Unlicensed Personnel Perform Hair Transplantation Surgery
By
Jan 13, 2017 - 3:52:53 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - GENEVA, IL USA (January 13, 2017) - The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery today issued a consumer alert with a warning that increasing numbers of unlicensed personnel worldwide are performing substantial medical aspects of hair restoration surgery and, in doing so, are putting patients at risk. All consumers considering hair restoration surgery should seek out a qualified surgeon who has proper training, experience and certifications, according to the ISHRS, a non-profit medical association and leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration. Furthermore, the ISHRS warns patients to make sure the doctor they schedule with will actually be performing the surgery, and not delegating it to an unlicensed person.

“Increasing numbers of patients are seeking help from physician members of the ISHRS, asking them to correct mistakes of individuals who are not properly licensed or trained to perform surgical hair transplantation,” said the Society’s President Ken Washenik, MD, PhD, FAAD, FISHRS. “The ISHRS is very concerned for patients who, in some cases, have irreparable damage to their hair and scalp. We are deeply troubled when we learn about complications, some severe, because unlicensed individuals in the US and abroad are performing surgery.”

When performed by properly trained physicians, today’s hair restoration surgery safely and effectively creates natural-looking, permanent results that are virtually undetectable, Washenik said. “The ISHRS is speaking out on this issue because our mission focuses on advancing quality for patients through ongoing education of both medical professionals and consumers,” he added.

The ISHRS warns that patient safety and treatment outcomes are being jeopardized, and encourages consumers to be aware of the following:

According to Washenik, laws vary by country and by state regarding the specific portions of procedures that can be delegated to unlicensed personnel, but the ISHRS believes that a licensed provider knowledgeable in the field of hair restoration must perform all surgical incisions or excisions which are part of the procedure. “When doctors advertise their credentials and then delegate the surgery to unlicensed personnel, we believe patients are being misled and placed at risk," he stated.

As a leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration with more than 1,200 members in 70 countries, the ISHRS provides educational materials for patients considering hair restoration. Questions that consumers should ask physicians can be found at http://www.ishrs.org/article/questions-ask-your-hair-doctor. “Find a Physician” services are also available by visitinghttp://www.ishrs.org or calling the ISHRS consumer inquiry line at 1-800-444-2737 (U.S. Toll-Free) or +1-630-262-5399.

About the ISHRS 
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is a global non-profit medical association and the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration with more than 1,200 members throughout 70 countries worldwide. Above all, the ISHRS is dedicated to achieving excellence in patient outcomes by promoting the highest standards of medical practice, medical ethics, and research in the medical hair restoration industry. The ISHRS also provides continuing medical education to physicians specializing in hair transplant surgery and is committed to delivering the latest information on medical and surgical treatments to consumers suffering from hair loss, and most commonly from androgenetic alopecia – male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss. It was founded in 1993 as the first international society to promote continuing quality improvement and education for professionals in the field of hair restoration surgery. For more information and to locate a physician, visithttp://www.ishrs.org.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Hall SE, Criddle RA, Comito TL, Prince RL (1999) A case-control study of quality of life and functional impairment in women with long-standing vertebral osteoporotic fracture. Osteoporos Int 9:508.

2. 2 Adachi JD, Ioannidis G, Olszynski WP, et al. (2002) The impact of incident vertebral and non-vertebral fractures on health related quality of life in postmenopausal women. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 3:11.

3. 3 Ross PD, Davis JW, Epstein RS, Wasnich RD. Pre-existing fractures and bone mass predict vertebral fracture incidence in women. Ann Intern Med. 1991 Jun 1;114(11):919-23. PubMed PMID: 2024857.

 

4. 4 Tillman J, Shabe P, Rose M, Elson P, Wülfert E, Ashraf T. Fracture Reduction Evaluation Study 24-month final clinical study report, August 27, 2010. Medtronic Spinal and Biologics Europe BVBA.

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