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The NeoGraft device is essentially a hand-held dental drill with a sharp, circular punch, and utilizes a single-stage sharp punch dissection. A person (usually a technician) uses their vision and their hands in an effort is made to try to extract each graft manually. Each graft harvest attempt with the NeoGraft device is accompanied by inherent human error that we all posses. There are several hand held FUE devices on the market, including a 50 cent 1mm dermal biopsy punch. All have the common thread of being hand held, and entirely dependent on the technician using the hand-held device. The ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplant system uses 2 stereoscopic cameras, complex computer algorithms, a 6-jointed robotic arm, and 5,000 times per second the computer updates its position as it extracts each hair with robotic efficiency. The robot is controlled by a surgeon, and eliminates the human error inherent in any FUE procedure using any hand-held FUE device on the market, including the NeoGraft drill. With robotic efficiency, the ARTAS system decreases the transection of the grafts during their removal from the scalp. Transection of grafts is a major problem with hand-held devices, and contributes to poor growth, particularly in inexperienced hands.Most importantly, however, the experience of the physician and his or her dedication to the field of hair restoration is critical. The name of a device does not guarantee perfect results, any more than the very best tennis racket with the very best brand name will make you a tennis pro. A surgeon who recently added "NeoGraft" to a laundry list of other cosmetic procedures is most likely not experienced in the hundreds of subtleties and nuances of hair restoration, and that may be evident in the results, which are of course permanent.
The ARTAS robotic restoration procedure and the Neograft tool are both methods that help with the extraction of individual follicles in preparation for a transplant (FUE). It is important to remember that these are both just tools that the surgeon uses to aid in obtaining the follicles. The ARTAS machine is a robot that uses computer algorithms, cameras, and a sharp punch to separate the follicle from the surrounding skin one by one. It is controlled by the surgeon who can make small adjustments based on the quality of the grafts that are being extracted. The benefit of the robot is that it is precise and does not "get tired." Therefore it is very accurate. The Neograft is a handheld tool that is manually used to extract the graft from the donor site. Think of it as a hand held drill. The accuracy of the tool is completely dependent on the surgeon using it. If the surgeon extracts the graft at an imprecise angle the Neograft will not correct for it. Therefore in comparing the two methods, the ARTAS procedure is much more precise and accurate and yields higher quality grafts.
Artas versus Neograft is a common question in hair transplantation. Neograft is a handheld manual FUE with suction attached to it. Based on this design there are several flaws in harvesting hairs including human error, suction injury leading to trauma to the harvested hairs and a host of other potential issues. Artas is a state of the art robotic system used to help eliminate human mistakes by using stereoscopic cameras, computer algorithms, and continual updates. The Artas can actually detect which hairs are in the anagen phase of growth while it is extraordinarily difficult with the naked eye. While there a host nuances to hair transplantation, harvesting issues are nearly eliminated with an Artas. We have abandoned the use of manual FUEs and other devices due to consistently lower hair graft rates. Even a 10% difference, which seems slight, can make a huge impact on your final result.
NeoGraft and ARTAS are both just tools. The hair restoration surgeon's skill and artistry is MUCH more important than the tool used to harvest grafts.There is mention in multiple discussions of the grafts drying out with NeoGraft. In my practice, the graft containers are rotated very frequently and are bathed in liquid throughout the process, so drying out is not a risk. Like with any technique, if it is performed poorly (such as allowing the grafts to dry out), the results will suffer. We do not use the implanting hand piece with our NeoGraft procedures - the grafts are implanted manually.There is also discussion of there being less pain with ARTAS. I'm not sure what this is referencing, but in my practice, the scalp is completely numb while the grafts are being harvested, so pain is not an issue. I do not think that post-operative pain with various FUE techniques is a concern worth debating as all the FUE techniques are likely to be very similar with respect to post-op pain.Finally, the ARTAS system does require manual manipulation of the grafts during the extraction and implantation process, similar to Neograft, so this should not be a deciding factor. In summary, the big decisions to be made with hair transplant procedures lie in two things: 1. Strip harvest vs. FUE ... and 2. Finding the right hair restoration surgeon for you. Number 2 is the most important and will ultimately be the biggest determining factor in the success of your hair restoration journey.All the best,
hairguynyc,There are many hand held motorized devices to perform FUE procedures. Neograft is a hand held motorized device that has vacuum to assist in the removal of the cored follicles. Vacuum suction can be a significant risk for drying and desiccation of the harvested grafts. Desiccation can lead to no growth.ARTAS robotic FUE is a state of the art robotic system where a two camera imaging serves as the eyes that scans the donor field accurately determining precise exit angles, density of follicles, and hair density per follicle. The sophisticated algorithms function as the brains and dictate the best approach the selected follicles which are laser targeted for extraction. The robotic arm houses two needle system that permits the scoring of the follicle with a sharp punch that dissects the follicle to the level of the dermis. The second needle is a blunt needle, this subsequently cores the remainder to the follicle to free it from the scalp.While the Neograft hand held system is completely operator dependent, it is subject to physical tiring of the operator. The ARTAS robot is under the control of the operating surgeon but through an user interface, robots do not fatigue so the extractions are consistently extracted without fatigue of the surgeon no matter whether it is the first or the 2000th graft.Sincerely,Bernardino A. Arocha, MD
The ARTAS Robotic Hair Restoration procedure allows for a truly minimally invasive solution to deliver permanent and incredibly natural looking results. It is also scar-free, and is virtually painless! The Neograft is extracted by hand, therefore can be more painful. The precision of extraction may also be affected when done manually. Hair follicles can be damaged, which will result with no growth. This would only be recommended as a last resort, if a patient is not a candidate for the robotic hair restoration procedure.
