Graft Viability (Survival Rate)

Graft viability, often described as the survival rate, is the percentage of transplanted follicular units that remain alive and produce hair after a hair restoration procedure. It is typically evaluated over several months because transplanted grafts may shed initially and then regrow, and clinicians compare the number of grafts that produce lasting terminal hair with the number originally implanted to determine the survival rate.

Several factors affect graft viability, including how grafts are harvested and stored, the duration they remain outside the body, the gentleness of handling, the surgeon’s implantation technique, and the health of the donor and recipient sites. Patient-related factors such as smoking, certain medications, systemic health, and post-operative care (including infection control and avoiding excessive tension) also impact survival, so optimizing these variables improves the likelihood of a higher graft survival rate.