Hair transplant surgery uses existing follicles on the patient’s scalp to treat male pattern baldness, inflammation or trauma resulting in hair loss. FUSS (follicular unit strip surgery) and FUE (follicular unit extraction) are the two methods that are implemented when undergoing hair transplant surgery. Follicular unit strip is a technique that is mostly outdated as it’s a surgical procedure that removes a strip of hair from the back of the head, and this is then transferred to the affected area. This procedure has multiple drawbacks. Dr Jonsson does not use this technique and focuses solely on the FUE technique.

FUE or follicular unit extraction involves harvesting individual hair follicles from the back of the head and transferring and implanting these follicles to the affected area. Using the latest technology in hair transplant (human-assisted rapid robotic transplant system or HARRTS) makes this process easy and predictable. Donor and recipient sites are evaluated using digital technology; an exact number of grafts needed can be calculated as to ensure adequate results.

When is hair transplant surgery needed?

• Extreme hair thinning
• Trauma to the scalp resulting in no growth
• Male pattern baldness
• Receding hairline
• Bald spots

What does hair transplant surgery involve?
An initial assessment consultation visit will be done. Using digital planning, the exact amount of grafts will be calculated for each patient. The procedure will then be carried out using the HARRTS system under sedation. We have a fully equipped surgery to deal with sedation and recovery of patients for this procedure. The length of the procedure depends on the amount of grafts needed.

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Facial trauma reconstruction, known as maxillofacial trauma surgery, is the surgical procedure required to reconstruct the bone and soft tissues of the face following trauma.

Maxillofacial trauma surgery aims to restore form and function to the maxillofacial unit affected by trauma.

When would facial trauma surgery be needed?

• Facial fractures
• Burns
• Lacerations
• Soft tissue injuries such as avulsive injuries
• Penetrating facial injures
• Gunshot injuries
• Trauma to teeth and alveolar bone

Full clinical and radiographic diagnosis will be made, and treatment will be planned accordingly. Digital planning is used to optimise treatment results. These procedures are done under general anaesthesia in a theatre setting. Hospital stay depends on the severity of the injuries.

What does facial trauma surgery involve?
Fixation of facial fractures is done with titanium plates and screws. These are placed after careful planning. These plates and screws are placed under the periosteum onto bone and stays in for life. Incisions are made in strategic areas as to limit scarring of the face.

What is orthognathic surgery?
Orthognathic surgery, also known as jaw surgery, refers to procedures that help correct functional malocclusions and irregularities of the jaws. Orthognathic surgery can be used to alter or improve your facial appearance. The surgery can move your teeth and jaws into a new position for a more attractive, functional and healthy dental-facial relationship.

When is orthognathic surgery needed?
While orthodontic treatments like braces can correct malocclusions, skewed teeth and irregularities in bite, orthognathic surgery may be advised for those with more severe jaw problems that cannot be rectified by orthodontics alone.

Orthognathic surgery may be needed if you are experiencing the following:

• Difficulty chewing
• Chronic mouth breathing
• Asymmetric jaw/Asymmetric face
• Receding chin
• Speech problems
• Chronic joint pain
• Open bite
• Cleft lip or palate
• Facial injury

Orthognathic surgery demands a team approach that usually includes your general dentist, orthodontist and maxillofacial and oral surgeon. Together, these specialists will assess you to accurately diagnose the problem and plan your treatment. This may be done with the use of 3D technology, photographs, comprehensive facial x-rays and or CT scans, together with models of your teeth. Digital planning is used to accurately predict the outcome of the orthognathic surgery, and patients can be provided with a digitally rendered result of their facial appearance after the proposed treatment.

The surgical removal of impacted teeth is commonly known as removal of wisdom teeth. This procedure comprises of the surgical removal of impacted teeth. These teeth are normally impacted into the jaws and cannot erupt due to a lack of space. Impacted teeth may lead to local infection of the gingiva in the area, food impaction, cyst formation and in more advanced stages of infection abscess formation. The eruption force of these teeth may also cause chronic headaches that will only resolve once these teeth are removed. Impacted teeth may also be removed in conjunction with other required treatments such as orthodontic treatment and/or orthognathic surgery.

When are surgical extractions needed?

• Constant pain surrounding the upper and lower jaw
• Trapped food behind the tooth
• Gingival infections
• Visible cysts on the gum
• Tooth decay visible on the wisdom tooth
• Damage to surrounding teeth
• Damage to surrounding bones
• Cysts formed around the tooth
• Orthodontic treatment
• Orthognathic treatment

What would surgical extractions involve?
Depending on the complexity of the tooth extraction, either local or general anaesthetic will be administered. During the extraction, Dr Jonsson will make incisions in the gum to expose the teeth and bone. The bone is removed so that there is access to the teeth roots. If a tooth is too big, it may be divided into smaller pieces for easier removal. After the extraction, the wound is cleaned out and stitched.

Dental implants are a solution for those with missing teeth; however, poor alveolar bone structure may mean you are not a suitable candidate for this procedure. In such cases, Dr Jonsson will augment the alveolar bone to ensure dental implants can be placed.

Head and neck reconstruction involves the reconstructive procedures needed to restore form and function of the maxillofacial region after tumour ablative surgery. Tumour ablation, whether benign or malignant, may leave a patient with gross facial defects. Restoring these defects is done in a team approach. The team normally consists of head and neck surgeons (maxillofacial and ENT surgeons) together with a plastic surgeon and possibly a maxillofacial prosthodontist. Surgical options vary according to the size and position of the defect. Reconstruction can be done by a variety of free tissue grafts, microvascular free flaps or patient-specific implants.

Craniofacial surgery is done in cases where there is premature fusion of the cranial vault sutures, also known as craniosynostosis. This may be congenital and due to syndromic conditions, but also occur in non-syndromic individuals. Syndromic conditions that cause craniosynostosis include: Muenke syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Apert syndrome, Pfeiffer syndrome, Soethre-Chotzen syndrome and Kleeblottschadel or Cloverleaf skull syndrome, to name a few.

Premature fusion of the cranial sutures results in:

• Raised intracranial pressure
• Hydrocephalus
• Opthalmic complications
• Neurodevelopmental complications
• Obstructive sleep apnea and difficulty with normal breathing

Surgical treatments of these conditions involve a multidisciplinary surgical team that consists of neurosurgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons and ENTs.

The treatment of patients with craniofacial abnormalities aims to:

• Improve the airway and thus normal breathing
• Improve feeding
• Decrease ophthalmic complications, and therefore improve the visual aquity of these patients
• Improved hearing
• Correct associated anomalies of the spine and extremities
• Treatment of hydrocephalus
• Correct the craniofacial disproportion
• Decreasing recurrent intracranial hypertension