Cheers Spex - i'll keep you all posted on developments.

Ron J,

I chose not to respond to you on the last topic because it's not worth it to me. It is clear that your only point in being a member of this forum is to antagonize other members. Like the last topic, I will not take your bait. If you ever develop the intellectual capacity to make a sound point, I will respond accordingly.

This is the reason I have not even bothered to discuss this topic....because everyone is still trying to score individual points against each other.

Ron...TC is not the enemy..TC...Ron is not the enemy, bad doctors, shills, and the uneducated making poor decisions are the enemy. You do what you feel you must, but from one bald brother to another, it is starting to feel ultra personal. I love the passion and willingness to mix it up...in fact you and TC remind me of Bill, myself and several others about 4 years ago You guys will make better allies and achieve more "good" than as enemies.

Notjustyet....Dr. Feller can charge 50.00 a graft...if someone educates themselves, looks at the quality of his work, looks at the quality of other clinics, and decides as a consumer that 50.00 a graft represents a satisfactory cost to value ratio, then so be it. Expressing your opinion that you personally feel 10.00 a graft is high, is 100% fine. Stating that Dr. Feller is "wrong" or casting him as some profiteering goon is uncalled for.
Dr. Feller and I disagree on some things, but the man is transparent, up front and took the time to explain the reasons for his pricing. Fair enough in my book, and certainly deserving of respect.

On the topic of cost. FUE is expensive, it takes time to learn. It costs a lot of money to learn FUE because to do it right, your doing free work, reduced rate work, and paying overhead such as staff, etc... that is just business.

To truly make FUE viable, you have to offer large enough session sizes to be impactful, without over-harvesting the donor, or speeding up the process to the point where waste occurs.
Thus the balancing point.

FUE 5.00 to 10.00 seems like a fair price range...that puts the average at 7.50..which if many of you recall I said I spend many months in 2007 polling those I came in contact with who said they felt 6-7dollars a graft was very fair, due to the benefit the patient sought and the difficulty the doctor experienced achieving this. Additionally, using Dr. Feller as an example, he has offered the "lunchtime" FUE session at a lower cost, in addition to several patients reporting Dr. Feller doing more grafts than the patient paid for, without charging them. Others have reported Dr. Feller working with their budget, as most clinics do. I use Dr. Feller as an example, only because of the unfair negative criticisms expressed toward his FUE costs.

Others have mentioned SMG due to our current pricing schedule, which, while not changing in the immediate future, is going to change to a certain degree..it has to, I previously mentioned that the economics of retaining a large staff, and 3 fully functional O.R.'s would force the change at some point.

The issue at SMG is that we are not actively seeking to do more than 1000 grafts per day...Dr. Ron feels that number allows us to do impactful work, then the patient can come in the next day for additional grafts for refinement. He does not intend for that to change. In that vein, we are spending 2 and 3 days on our patients to ensure growth and refined end results.

So in this case, what do people believe is a fair cost for FUE? Currently we are 6.00 per graft with a 500.00 travel discount.

Would a pricing schedule like strip costs be better? Say, 8.00 per graft for the 1st 1000 grafts, then 5.00 per graft thereafter?

That would make our 2000 graft session 12,500. Right now it is 11,500. It takes us 3 days to do this. We expect to eventually do this in 2 days. A 2000 graft strip session that takes ONE day is 9000.00, for frame of reference.

Taking the information I have given, what is a reasonable cost for FUE? What would you as the patient, expect to pay for a top clinic, with an ethical doctor and highly experienced/trained staff, educating you, and properly designing a treatment plan that encompasses your short and long-term goals?

Take Care,
Jason

__________________
Go Cubs!

6721 transplanted grafts
13,906 hairs
Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro

Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

I LOVE SMG, and that would be my first choice based on quality and price at this point in time...

and NO, I am not a patient of theirs, just a closer observer of their actions and words.

Thanks B-Spot for your candid post.

__________________
Dec. 2004 - 1938 Grafts via Strip
Feb. 2009 - 1002 Grafts via FUE

Jason,

I commend you for your well though out and logical post...and I agree.

RonJ

I don't feel that TC17 was playing the moderator...only making observations from what he saw written in this thread, just like you. Many of the personal insults have already been removed or edited out of otherwise sound posts, hence why you can't find them.

Honestly, your last couple of posts were overly antagonistic especially considering TC17 was just pointing out his observations and expressing his opinion.

In my opinion, you and TC17 are both good guys with a heart to help hair loss sufferers. I only hope you two will join forces to educate and support balding men and women and fight against sub-par work, unethical physicians, and blatant shills.

Now...

What does everyone think...should I leave this topic open for discussion or close it? It seems like it's become a bit more of a personal sparring match than anything else. What do you guys think?

Bill

__________________
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog and the Hair Loss Forum and Social Community

View our hair loss articles on EZineArticles.com

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletters | How We Recommend Physicians

-----

To learn about how I restored my hair, view my my hair loss website.

Remember, true beauty radiates from within, not from the skin.

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.

Bill, it appears that those with an axe to grind or trying to show they are smarter than everyone else show up in every thread, thus I see no reason to lock this one!

__________________
Dec. 2004 - 1938 Grafts via Strip
Feb. 2009 - 1002 Grafts via FUE

Lock the thread lest' Hope throws another hissy fit over not getting the recognition he so (thinks he) deserves! Or will this simply happen in any thread; perhaps Hope can answer and explain some, since he seems to have such a righteous read on the quality of posters on this site, and can make sweeping statements as to the quality and effectiveness of peoples' words in every thread including future ones...?

Other than a hissy-fit rearing its ugly head (yet again), I could see leaving the thread open in case another "Bspot" might post and enrich things; but my personal read is that everyone has had their fill so locking it and stemming any potential acrimony seems perfectly reasonable, too.

__________________
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*A Follicles Dying Wish To Clinics*

1 top-down, 1 portrait, 1 side-shot, 1 hairline....4 photos. No flash.

Follicles have asked for centuries, in ten languages, as many times so as to confuse a mathematician.

Enough is enough! Give me documentation or give me death!

Personally attacking me all the while parading yourself up like some wise sage and telling others not to make attacks; typical TC. This coming from someone who routinely props up third world hacks while knocking THE best in the business and Coalition docs, some 'sound points' you've made pal.
Bill,
I think you should lock it so TC - or anyone else- can't continue personal attacks while pompously lecturing us on morality.

__________________
Delicately helping those fragile souls who suffer from hair loss, w/motherly nourishment & care.

Guys,

Since personal assailments persist, I agree with the majority of the members that it's time to lock this thread and move on.

Best Regards,

Bill

__________________
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog and the Hair Loss Forum and Social Community

View our hair loss articles on EZineArticles.com

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletters | How We Recommend Physicians

-----

To learn about how I restored my hair, view my my hair loss website.

Remember, true beauty radiates from within, not from the skin.

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.