PRACHANNA OR HAIR TRANSPLANT

OVERVIEW

Sushrutha is an ancient ayurvedic physician who wrote a text on surgery. His text is known as Sushrutha samhita. He mentioned eight surgical procedures in which raktamokshan is one of the procedure. Raktamokshan is a blood-letting procedure in which impure blood is extracted from the affected part. Prachanna is one of the types of raktamokshana. In this, multiple incisions or pricks are made on the concerned part, the blood oozes out and the vitiated doshas are expelled out of the body. The disease is then treated.

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE OF PRACHANNA KARMA?

A tourniquet is applied on the concerned area. Then a sharp pointed instrument is taken. This surgical instrument is called Koorcha shastra in ayurveda. With the help of koorcha shastra, multiple pricks are made on the diseased area. The pricks should be made in the following manner:

• Pricks should not be very deep or just superficial
• They should be made parallel to each other
• They should be made from bottom to top
• Overlapping of pricks should be avoided
• Pricks should not be made transverse
• They should be made quickly

In most of the cases, bleeding stops on its own but in case of excessive bleeding, raktastambhaka drugs such as ushiradi churna should be applied.

WHAT ARE THE INDICATIONS OF PRACHANNA KARMA?

Some of the diseases in which prachanna karma is indicated are:

• Alopecia
• Enlargement of any gland
• Localized skin diseases
• Suppuration
• Gout

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE OF MODERN DAY HAIR TRANSPLANT?

In today’s era, hair transplant has become a craze. Not only the ones who are suffering from baldness go for hair transplant, but people who want to change their hairline also get a hair transplant.

Following are the steps in a hair transplant:

• Trimming of the hair is done from the donor area, area from which the hairs are to be transferred to the the bald area.
• Then, local anesthesia is given in the donor area. The tissue of the donor area containing hair follicles is removes surgically and the area is sutured.
• The sutured area is then covered with the hair above the donor area. The sutures are removed after 10 days. Donor tissue is then analysed by the hair surgeons under microscope. They then dissect the tissue into follicular units hair grafts.
• The bald recipient area is then prepared for the implantation of new hair. There is no requirement of trimming of hair in the recipient hair.
• Tiny incisions are made in the bald area for the placing of follicular unit grafts. The less denser grafts containing 1-2 hair follicles are implanted in front of the hairline and denser grafts are placed behind the hairline.
• The marks of incisions heal on their own within a week.

COMPLICATIONS OF HAIR TRANSPLANT

The complications which are associated with hair transplant are:

• Infection of the scalp
• Swelling
• Excessive bleeding
• Itching
• Bruising
• Formation of crusts where hair was implanted or removed
• Loss of sensation in the concerned areas
• Infection of the hair follicles called folliculitis
• Unnatural look of hairs