By Emina Karamanovski

I have been asked to be one of the presenters during the assistants’ course at the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) this year, which is taking place next week in San Francisco. In the past, I have lectured at ISHRS meetings about graft preparation and graft handling, but this year, I will be discussing a different aspect of hair restoration procedures – the role of stress management in the surgical setting.

I am looking forward to discussing this particular topic since I can share my other passion, which is helping others reach their potential and improve their life experiences. You may be wondering what makes me qualified to talk about stress management. For the last 15 years, I have been studying various aspects of holistic healing, mostly focusing on emotional intelligence and stress management.

Having an understanding of how to manage stress better can help hair restoration surgeons and assistants improve the patient experience during hair transplantation surgery. Hair restoration is a unique experience for patients due to the fact that patients have to sit still in a surgical chair for long hours while several assistants are working in close proximity to them. Not every tissue is easy to work with and not everybody can sit still for such a long period of time – and these factors can increase the amount of stress experienced during the procedure. It is human to feel frustrated in these types of situations, but knowing how to deal with a challenging procedure or how to help a patient relax when he or she feels restless is priceless. By teaching surgical assistants how to manage stress better, I hope to improve the experience during hair restoration surgery for my colleagues, as well as their patients

I have also been asked to help with the basic course for physicians who are beginning in hair restoration. It is always exciting to share my knowledge and experience with others while also learning from colleagues.

This year, the ISHRS meetings in San Francisco will be an exciting opportunity for me to share my passion, knowledge and experience, while hopefully providing my colleagues with beneficial information that will enhance the hair restoration surgery experience. I look forward to the upcoming meetings.