"Can't Lie on Side"… Scalp Necrosis After Hair Transplantation

Hospital Side: "Medical Aspects Not Clarified"

A story of a man in his 50s suffering severe pain from 'scalp necrosis' after a hair transplant surgery has drawn attention.

On the 17th, JTBC's 'Sageonbanjang' reported that a man in his 50s, Mr. A, experienced serious complications after undergoing hair transplant surgery at a specialized clinic in Gangnam, Seoul.

Mr. A received the procedure at the clinic on September 3rd. There were no unusual signs immediately after the surgery, but problems arose two weeks later during the stitch removal process. The skin tissue at the surgical site had become necrotic.

Hair transplant surgery, the photo is an example image unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Pixabay

The hair transplant surgery Mr. A underwent is known as the occipital incision method, where the back of the head is incised to harvest hair follicles, which are then transplanted to the balding area. However, after stitch removal, the sutured area kept reopening, and Mr. A had to undergo three additional suture surgeries at intervals of 2 to 3 days.

Mr. A's condition did not improve. Instead, pus accumulated at the surgical site, and the skin became necrotic, resulting in a 4.5 cm black lesion. At that time, Mr. A claims he was only told by the medical staff that "the condition is improving," without receiving detailed information about his illness or treatment plan. Eventually, he sought treatment at another hospital but was told that treatment was not possible.

The hospital that performed the surgery offered to perform a new hair transplant on the necrotic area, but Mr. A requested insurance coverage. The hospital reportedly continued to propose treatment instead of insurance processing. Ultimately, Mr. A filed a complaint accusing the medical staff of negligence causing injury.

Mr. A told the media, "I visited the hospital 12 times," and added, "The pain was so severe that I couldn't sleep or lie on my side." However, a hospital official explained to the media, "Initially, it was difficult to distinguish between scabs and necrotic tissue. Inflammation occurred on the scab and wound area, which was scratched off," and added, "While medical negligence has not been determined, we intend to support treatment and hair transplantation for one year on a moral basis."