About hair transplantation clinic “Talizi”
Director of clinic Akaki Tsilosani
Hair transplantation clinic “Talizi” was founded in Tbilisi in 1998. Director of the clinic is young scientist, experienced surgeon, Candidate of Medical Science, author of 18 research works and 5 inventions Akaki Tsilosani. Leading surgeons are Vazha Vadachkoria, Marie Gugava and Eka Kandiashvili. They work side by side with experienced assistants, technicians and nurses.
Our hair transplantation clinic employs novel American technology of hair grafting so called Follicular Unit Transplantation (see "What is hair transplantation"). Until recently hair was being transplanted in the form of so called large grafts, and in many clinics they still use this method. The method was invented by Japanese doctor S. Okuda and American dermatologist N. Orentreich in 1939—1952, and implies taking large skin islets, so called grafts (4 mm in diameter) from occipital area and implanting them in bald spots. As a result, in new location hair grows in a bush-like pattern (“toothbrush”, “doll’s head” effect). To correct this cosmetically unacceptable result, american surgeon E. Marrit attempted to transplant hair not in the form of skin islets, but as individual hair roots (follicles). This method was called micrografting. Nowadays it is employed in majority of world clinics. Donor tissue taken from occipital area under 2—4-fold magnification is being divided into thinnest transplants so called monografts (tissue containing 1 hair follicle) and micrografts (tissue containing 2 to 3 follicles). In 2 or 3 months after implanting micrografts, healthy hair starts to grow in bald areas, which is very hard to distinguish from surrounding hair.
In 19952000 American scientists R. Bernstein and W. Rossman have developed so called Concept of Follicular Units Transplantation (see What is hair transplantation). According to this concept hair is transplanted in the form of follicular units, exactly as in its natural occurring. This method creates impression of maximal naturalness, minimizes follicular loss during the operation and, most importantly hair transplanted in this manner has almost 100% life potential (100 hairs grow from 100 transplanted follicles). But this method requires complicated techniques of harvesting donor material, preparing donor material under special stereomicroscopes by 510 experienced assistants simultaneously which is extremely time-consuming and expensive process. “Talizi” was the first clinic in entire eastern hemisphere that employs exclusively Follicular Unit Transplantation method.
 
Transplantated hair survival reaches almost 100%
Compression and container methods developed in our clinic in 1998—2001 have enabled to exclude dehydration of follicles, to reduce blood loss and duration of operation, which made hair transplantation even easier for the patients. Owing to these achievements along with high professionalism and coordinated work of the staff large sessions are being performed in short time. Worldwide it is considered normal to transplant 1500 grafts which correspond to 3500 hairs. Our clinic is one of the few where 3000 and more grafts can be transplanted during one operation if needed. Today our staff can carry out transplantation of 3000—4000 grafts (follicular units or 7000—9000 hairs) during 3—4 hour procedure which is perfectly sufficient for covering bald area of any size.
Starting with 2002 “Talizi” uses original anaesthetic solution and methods, developed by Akaki Tsilosani, which made the long process of hair transplantation virtually painless. Furthermore, the process of introduction of local anaesthetic solution and postoperative period are painless too, as action of anaesthesia lasts for more than 8 hours. Besides, this new anaesthetic is non-toxic, harmless for the patient of any age, has no side effects, anaphylactic or allergic reactions. Most importantly, use of new anaesthetic methods has excluded postoperative edema of face that is so bothersome for the patients in entire world. This not only made easier postoperative rehabilitation of our patients but resulted in improvement of microcirculation and quick completion of healing processes. Our patients are able to start working on the second day after operation, wash hair on third day and perform any kind of physical activity after one week.
Density 123 hair per cm² have been achived
Starting from the second half of 2003 every hair transplantation operation at “Talizi” is being performed using unified digital information system of registering created recipient sites and follicular units, developed with leadership of A. Tsilosani. The system automatically (without surgeon and assistant) counts number of recipient sites and follicular units, which is demonstrated on the monitor for both the patient and surgeon. This unique system that is used exclusively in our clinic, decreases number of personnel and gives exact and objective information about the number of transplanted grafts (follicular units).
For 2004 on a basis of long investigations carried out under the leadership of A. Tsilosani “Talizi” has accepted concepts of ideal donor closure and maximal thickness of transplanted hairs (so called lack of compression):
1) After donor closure our patients do not need unpleasant procedure of removing the sutures and there is virtually no scarring on donor area. This means that areas where hair roots have been taken from are completely invisible for other people including patient’s hairdresser.
2) Our clinic can achieve almost natural hair density in the small recipient areas. Using fine miniature instruments (“Talizi” modification of 15° Sharpoint micro blades) which have width of 0.163 mm, it is possible to transplant 64 follicular units on 1cm², and produce 100—150 hairs. This is considered ideal density in hair transplantology.
Implementation of Follicular Unit Extraction method (so called FOX procedure) allowed to perform very small-scale surgeries (up to 1000 grafts) without incisions and sutures. This method is used to restore eye-brows (see picture in gallery) and eye-lashes (see picture in gallery) after traumas and burns, as well as to take hair from the chest in case of poor donor supply in occipital area.
Hair transplantation unit “Talizi” has a branch in Batumi, where procedures are being performed by Professor A. Beridze and Doctor L. Motskobili under the supervision of our specialists. Our clinic has a license for postgraduate education of physicians issued by the Ministry of Health. Centre regularly trains surgeons hair transplantologists, including foreign physicians.
Hair restoration using hair transplantation method
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