“Head surgery without shaving the head?”
I am a healthy 32 year old woman who is looking for a surgeon, probably a neurosurgeon, to remove 4 objects in the lower back of the head. These are BB pellets from self-harm a couple of weeks back.
My ultimate question is: is it possible to perform this surgery without mercilessly shaving a large portion of my head for 4 small pellets? While I am doing much better now mentally (and physically), I decided to walk away from my ER removal surgery today. I wasn't comfortable having a surgeon who seemed to lack compassion for trying to keep my hair intact. The problem is, shaving a large portion of my hair would affect my mental health in a very undesirable way. It is part of my identity, and I would rather keep the pellets in than shave my head. Of course, I would love to remove the pellets to prevent future infection/complications, but I would like to find a doctor willing to even somewhat try to work with me on the amount of hair being removed.-- or if hair needs to be removed at all.
I have reviewed the current scientific literature and I see this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22555352/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21721875/
I am skeptical that shaving is really necessary, especially half of my head! I am looking to find a doctor who is willing to at least try to work with me or show a sign of compassion (best-case scenario maybe not shave at all?). My almost-surgeon today was very cold, and a man of few words. I am asking in the interest of my overall health, I would like to try to maintain the momentum I have with my mental health. Please help, and thank you for reading.
My ultimate question is: is it possible to perform this surgery without mercilessly shaving a large portion of my head for 4 small pellets? While I am doing much better now mentally (and physically), I decided to walk away from my ER removal surgery today. I wasn't comfortable having a surgeon who seemed to lack compassion for trying to keep my hair intact. The problem is, shaving a large portion of my hair would affect my mental health in a very undesirable way. It is part of my identity, and I would rather keep the pellets in than shave my head. Of course, I would love to remove the pellets to prevent future infection/complications, but I would like to find a doctor willing to even somewhat try to work with me on the amount of hair being removed.-- or if hair needs to be removed at all.
I have reviewed the current scientific literature and I see this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22555352/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21721875/
I am skeptical that shaving is really necessary, especially half of my head! I am looking to find a doctor who is willing to at least try to work with me or show a sign of compassion (best-case scenario maybe not shave at all?). My almost-surgeon today was very cold, and a man of few words. I am asking in the interest of my overall health, I would like to try to maintain the momentum I have with my mental health. Please help, and thank you for reading.
Female | 32 years old
Complaint duration: 1 month
Medications: lamictal 50mg
Conditions: PCOS
5 Answers
NeurosurgeonNeurologist
The answer is yes, it is possible to do surgery without a drastic shave. I hope you have managed to get this sorted!
Yes it is possible to do surgery without shaving hair or only a minimal amount depending on where the incision needs to be made and on how long and dense the hair is.
Christopher L. Marquart M.D.
Christopher L. Marquart M.D.
No reason for large head shave. Have been doing minimal head shaves for over 25 years with no issues I usually shave about the width of a little finger just to avoid hair tangling in sutures. There is no increased infection risk for minimal or even no shaves as you may have seen. I have always felt that patients recover better psychologically if they leave the hospital looking normal.
I would not shave your head to remove scalp pellets, but they need to be palpable.
Please shave your head for the surgery or the areas that procedure is required to be performed. Your life is worth more than hair, it will grow back. Start psychotherapy to deal with PTSD or other behavioral health issues.
