Infection with hair transplant surgery.

The problem of infection during hair transplant surgery in one dermatologist's office is described herein. Careful epidemiologic investigation identified the causative organism and its source, and the infection was effectively controlled by the use of "semi-sterile" technique. Infection may be more common than generally suspected and it should be considered as a possible cause of otherwise unexplained disappointing results as reflected by decreased numbers of viable hairs per graft.