Is CHOI Implanter really a useful instrument
CHOI implanter is a small instrument used for hair transplant by few people around the world. I decided to try and see is it really a great instrument.
The device was a small pen with18 or 19 gauge needle fixed in the front. The graft has to be loaded in the front of this needle and the needle is used to create hole and implant the graft simultaneously. Used these instruments for few years and found that it is not a great instrument to be used in hair transplant. It’s much better to create recipient sites and implant compared to using implanter. I had following observation while using this instrument
1. It doesn’t change the procedure anyway in fact makes it more complicated. Ultimately a needle makes a hole and pushes the graft in the hole.
2. Its difficult to load grafts with multiple hairs without any friction or rubbing the follicles around the wall. Grafts without multiple hairs affect results.
3. A good perifollicular tissue is critical for the survival of the grafts. It’s difficult to load the graft in implanter with little extra tissue. It usually gets peeled off while loading.
4. Using the implanter was good for 1200 to 1500 grafts but it is almost impossible to do 3000-4000 grafts session with implanter.
5. Its difficult to create exact angles as the there is complete movement of hand to pick each and every graft loaded in implanter.
5. The needles remains ok for first few 100 grafts but as the needle gets blunt the force to push needle to create incision increases and there is huge popping of grafts. Changing the needle after every few hundred grafts is a costly affair.
6. Grafts cannot be transplanted very closely due to pressure created by the needle gets transferred to nearby follicles leading to pop up of existing follicles. This leads to the poor results and may need multiple sessions.
7. The implanter has to be disposable but cost doesn’t allow that. So usually needles are disposed and the plastic body is reused.
8. Single person has to work in scalp which increases the time required for the surgery.
9. The quality of implanter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and those available in India are the worst.
P.S.These are my personal opinion and observation and may vary from others
Image courtesy-Google