For most patients, first-generation cephalosporin is used, unless a history of cephalosporin allergy exists. If cephalosporin hypersensitivity exists, azithromycin or ciprofloxacin may be substituted. Some surgeons also use topical antibiotics during the postoperative period to reduce risk of wound infection, although no benefit has been established yet. Some surgeons use oral antibiotics for 3-5 days postoperatively to reduce risk of infection. Corticosteroids Many surgeons administer oral or intramuscular corticosteroids to reduce postoperative swelling, although few data are available supporting this practice.
Some patients require oral narcotics for the first few days after hair transplantation.
Usually, Tylenol with codeine no. 3, Percocet, or Lortab 5 is sufficient to alleviate most postoperative discomfort. Most surgeons advocate use of surgical dressings to minimize risk of graft loss. Some surgeons use no postoperative dressing and require patients to wear a baseball cap. Significant advances in hair transplantation have made this procedure more popular and have led to superior results, which often are undetectable to the lay person. Dissecting microscope versus magnifying loupes with transillumination in the preparation of follicular unit grafts.