Healthcare Technology Featured Article

January 29, 2021

How healthcare technology has advanced these two beneficial procedures




Improvements in health and well being are direct benefits of advances in technology in recent years. Major breakthroughs like mobile technology and the internet are often seen as a double-edged sword when it comes to our quality of life. Yet, there are some advances, for which the benefits are not in any doubt.

In this article, we are going to look at two areas where not only has technology played a massive part in finding a solution, but there is more than one technique to complete or improve the procedure. The techniques aim to improve our health or appearance and also enhance the quality of life for those who undergo the procedures.

While much of the stigma has disappeared from undergoing these procedures some myths and misinformation about them still exist. This article will also address the misconceptions that surround these beneficial procedures.

Laser Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery has been in constant evolution for the last thirty years and is available in two different types, LASIK and LASEK. Whilst the more popular of these two techniques is LASIK, for those with a thin cornea or some existing medical condition that causes complications, LASEK is the more appropriate procedure.

The main difference is that the LASEK procedure uses just one laser and minor surgical technique while LASIK uses two lasers. Both techniques are widely practiced and are considered so safe that NASA has approved the treatments for use on astronauts.

The most common myth that exists around laser eye surgery is that it is painful, yet the process is not overly invasive and patients have reported that they have only experienced minor pressure on their eye and no real discomfort.

Hair Transplant Surgery

A receding hairline or pattern baldness may not seem as important as correcting eyesight, yet balding has a major impact on self-image, self-confidence, and mental health. This is why many men and women spend large amounts of both time and money dealing with this issue.

For many, the best solution will be a hair transplant that implants hair follicles in the affected areas. As with eye surgery, two techniques exist, and these are known as FUE (follicular unit extraction) and FUT (follicular unit transplantation).

The difference between the two hair transplant procedures can be easily summarised. Using the FUT process, a strip of skin is removed and the follicles are then removed for transplantation, whereas with FUE the follicles are removed directly from the areas unaffected by hair loss.

Of the two techniques, FUE is recognised as the more advanced, and examples of fue hair transplant results are often seen on social media when high profile sportsmen and celebrities undergo this procedure.

This kind of exposure has removed much of the stigma that once surrounded hair transplantation. Like eye surgery though, the myth that the procedure is painful is also incorrect. The FUE procedure is only minimally invasive and is done under local anesthetic so the vast majority of patients feel nothing at all.



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