Hey all,

So I’ve been on this site for over 7 years, I tend to read rather than comment but now I feel I should share my experience. I’ve broken it down into sections because it’s quite a long story, but I’ve tried to include everything to give you the full picture:

Operation Summary

Duration: 10 Hrs (approx)
Technique: FUE
Blade: 0.9mm Manual Punch
Graft Total: 2,548
1's: 504
2's: 1,174
3's: 830
4's: 40
Area Covered (approx): 50 sq cm
Avg Density (approx): 50 grafts / sq cm (plus native hair)


Background

I first noticed my hair loss after college, when I went to university. Probably just about the worst time to lose your hair and your confidence as a result. At the tender young age of 20, I was vulnerable enough to be taken in by Jeremy Isherwood and the Norton Clinic. Looking back with embarrassment I’m ashamed to say I did everything wrong – I had my consultation with a salesman, I didn’t even consider going anywhere else, I don’t know even know how many grafts I had or needed, I didn’t fully understand the long term implications and of course the end result was pretty poor. That being said, I’ve seen and heard of much worse horror stories with the Norton Clinic, my scar is mostly pencil thin and even the wider places do not show at all normally due to my hair colour being so close to my skin colour (extremely light). Despite them placing doubles and triples in my hairline, and some of the graft direction being somewhat suspect, the end result was undetectable and it’s lasted me a good 7 years. The plan from Norton was always that I would go back for a second operation to have the hairline thickened up, I never felt the need to but I always intended to.

More recently, I’ve started to find it harder and harder to style my hair, with wind becoming more and more of a problem. My first reaction was that I just needed the hairline thickening up as per the original plan, perhaps 1,000 grafts would do – this turned out to be wildly inaccurate - so much for self diagnosis! There was one key moment in my life where I snapped at a family member after having my hair messed up by the wind, and that was the final straw - I made a new year’s resolution that this year I would sort out my issues with my hair as they had begun to affect how I was living my life, and even who I was as a person.

From the very start, I knew that I wanted FUE for this second surgery. I have had a medium sized strip surgery, and I’ve felt the tightness from time to time even years and years after the original operation – I simply didn't want to go through that again. I also feel quite fortunate that I only have a relatively short, straight scar, rather than a smiley face, and I did not want to risk making this scar worse (it’s extremely easy to cover). I also wanted to leave myself the option of FUE into that scar at a later date to give myself the option of shorter hair, which I felt would be compromised if I had another strip making it both longer and potentially wider.

Even though I’ve been on this site for so long, I actually first considered the convenience of an FUE surgeon local to me, and I arranged a consultation with them in January. This is despite them having no information on their surgeon on their website or upon request. I feel it is somewhat more embarrassing that even with my relative ‘experience’ within this industry, I still nearly made the same mistake twice. It just goes to show how easily people can be sucked in and end up in the hands of sub-par surgeons, underlining the importance of sites such as this.

Thankfully, I cancelled, looked up the recommended European surgeons on this site, and began to see and hear very good things about Dr Bisanga and Dr Feriduni. After consulting with both these doctors and some other surgeons from the states and Canada online, I arranged a consultation with both in January of this year.

The Consultation

I consulted with both Dr Feriduni and Dr Bisanga. Interestingly, they both had different approaches, and took a different line in reaching the same conclusions:

Dr Bisanga measured my donor density at 60/70/70, Dr Feriduni measured it at 80/96. Dr Bisanga suggested that light hair needs less density, Dr Feriduni suggested light hair needs more. I think both are true – if you have blonde hair it’s easier to get an illusion of coverage with fewer grafts due to the lower skin/hair contrast, but it’s harder to get a dense look because the hairs aren’t as visible. The end result, however, was that both recommended 2,400-2,500 grafts over 2 days, which was in line with their and the other online consultations. Both also recommended that I dye my hair dark prior to the operation, as the hair is naturally so light it can make extraction difficult. Both asked the question had I considered FUT given that I already have a scar and that the yield can be very slightly higher (2.1 hairs via FUT vs 1.8 to 2.2 via FUE) – but I was decided FUE would be the way forward for me and both felt I was a good candidate.

I found the consultation with Dr Feriduni to be a very pleasant experience, he was able to show me my donor area magnified on the computer, live, and seemed to listen much more closely to what I wanted and approach the transplant with a great deal of artistry, he seemed more precise in his approach, using a mask to align the hairline perfectly, and he also had hundreds (and I mean hundreds) of excellent case studies on his computer. It must be such a low percentage of his cases which actually make their way onto the forums but the case studies he can show speak for themselves. There was never a feeling that he was pushing me into anything, or that he was in a rush to get rid of me – he gives you his full time and concentration. On top of all of the above, he’s one of those people you just know are genuinely good guys. I know you shouldn’t select a surgeon based on how nice they are, so I didn’t, but I had confidence that he would stand by me should anything go wrong and that means a lot. This level of care wasn’t just confined to Dr Feriduni either, the whole team of nurses and Daphne & Cristian were extremely friendly and professional. I was left in no doubt after the consultation that I wanted Dr Feriduni to be my surgeon, so I promptly made a booking for a 2-day surgery at the end of March (thanks to a cancellation).

The total cost for 2,500 grafts was 10,750 EUR (?8,576), which works out at 4.3 EUR / graft. The deposit which had to be paid was 1,000 EUR per surgery day, so 2,000 EUR in my case. The remaining balance was due 21 days prior to the surgery, I elected to pay the upper amount for 2,500 grafts (as opposed to 2,400). One nice thing I noticed on the terms and conditions was that unlike some other surgeries, this deposit is refundable in the case of ‘unforeseen circumstances’ for example if you fall ill or if a relative dies.

The Operation

28th 7:00 PM– Arrived at the Radisson Blu hotel, took my time dying my hair jet black to make sure it could be seen during the operation, since I was shaving it anyway I didn’t care. I had a bit of a last minute panic about dying my hair so soon before the operation, and I’m ashamed to say the evidence of this remains – I posted on this forum at the 11th hour asking when the best time to dye hair was!

29th 7:30 AM – Arrived at the clinic where I was greeted by the nurse and shown to my personal room for the day. I read through all the legal documents, signed them, and changed into op clothes which were surprisingly comfortable.

8:00 AM – Was shown to Dr Feriduni’s office for a second consultation, to mark out the proposed hairline and to finalise the details of the operation. I was absolutely delighted with the hairline, as per the original consultation it was not aggressive, pretty much keeping my existing hairline height but rounding off the temples and adding density throughout zones 1, 2 and 3. We also lowered the central peak by about 1mm across roughly a 1 inch width, which I preferred to a widows peak – I have a large forehead so the doctor advised doing one or the other to break it up. This is a good example of the attention to detail and artistry that I mentioned before. The doctor mentioned that zone 4 seems to be holding up well for now, which was great news, although I do anticipate requiring further grafts down the line.

8:15 AM – I headed into the OR where I met some of the nurses, who were all extremely friendly and professional throughout - and had my head shaved. I’ve never shaved my head before so I should probably be grateful that there were no mirrors around!

8:20 AM - Blood pressure and heart rate were measured, and I was given IV antibiotics. I had a relatively high bp and heartrate, which I’ve actually had since I was young. The nervousness didn’t help.

8:25 – Face down in the chair, a vibrating tool basically made the numbing injections painless – I couldn’t feel the first one and subsequent injections were close by so the area was already numbed.

8:30 – Extractions started. I had a LOT of bleeding (due to my high bp) which made the operation harder to perform. I found the situation very uncomfortable – breathing face down into the moulded face holder made me very hot, and some blood started running down over my face. I was very nervous because I could feel the stress in the team, and was worried something was going wrong. If I had one criticism of the whole experience it would be that I wasn't reassured or spoken to much during this time. The nurses performed the majority of the extractions, there were 2 at a time working in shifts for about an hour at a time. Dr Feriduni also did some of the extractions himself, but there was no discernible difference in technique. After a while I asked if everything was OK or not, and was told that I was fine but bleeding a lot. To add to the drama, my heart rate monitor kept beeping from time to time, indicating a high heart rate (mainly due to me panicking a little). Towards the end, the extraction zone had to be widened in order to obtain the required grafts. I was later informed that the team went through 3 pads of tissues when normally one would suffice for a day. My bleeding meant that numbing injections had to be re-made several times during the process.

12:30 – Extractions complete, I was offered lunch and drink/chocolate. I declined because I wanted to have the grafts out of my body for as little time as possible. Instead, I had a glass of Coke and a chocolate bar in the chair and then Dr Feriduni started to make the incisions. This stage was much more comfortable as I was sat up and could talk properly. Dr Feriduni took his time with the incisions, carefully avoiding all native hair. I continued to chat to him during this time and the worst part was most definitely over.

14:00 – Incisions complete, I was offered another break for food/toilet but declined for the same reasons as before. The nurses began placing the grafts, this process was quite comfortable too. Dr Feriduni came by to check everything was OK every now and then.

17:00 – By now the grafts has all been placed, but Dr Feriduni said we needed more. This required more numbing injections in either side, which REALLY hurt this time (I believe I even let out a loud ‘ouch’). An additional 190 or so grafts were extracted from the sides and placed into the remaining incisions.

18:15 – I was cleaned off and washed down, bandaged up and taken back to my room where my lunch was waiting. The operation has been completed in 1 day, which I was absolutely delighted about. I didn’t fancy my body going through the same trauma the next day, when in my own mind I felt it was best for the body and my grafts to be recovering. I don’t know the difference in terms of yield, but I know in my personal (and totally unsubstantiated opinion) – I much prefer this to splitting the operation up over 2 days.

Immediately After the Operation

I later had another check up and post-op review with the Dr. Everything was looking great. He informed me that the extraction had been very easy because my roots aren’t very deep, meaning extremely low transection and capping rates. He also informed me that the ‘excellent’ blood flow I was so worried about would actually greatly help the implanted grafts, which put my mind at rest.

I asked the doctor whether or not he managed to avoid the native hair when making the incisions (my biggest fear was making my hair loss situation worse through surgery), so he demonstrated to me with a piece of paper, a pen, and a blade how easy it is. He drew some dots with the pen to signify the native hair, and illustrated how he could easily make hundreds of tiny incisions all around them, without transecting them.

After a few more questions about the specifics, I was bandaged up, a taxi ordered, and I was taken directly back to the hotel. After a lively conversation with the taxi driver, he informed me that my scalp looked very clean and that he had seen everything before – he was completely unphased. He also suggested he dropped me at the side of the hotel, by the underground car park – that way I could sneak back to my room without meeting a soul. I was very grateful for this.

Note - Some pictures below are quite graphic.

Donor Area - Pre Op (dyed black)


Recipient Area - Pre Op (dyed black)


Donor Area - Magnified


Donor Area - Magnified Further


Donor Area - Showing strip scar


Extracted Grafts


Graft Placement - Nurses


Immediately Post Op - New Hairline


Immediately Post Op - Magnified (


1 Day Post Op


12 Days Post Op


Donor Recovery - 2 Weeks


Recipient Recovery - 2 Weeks


I will post more updates shortly.

England

Nice write up and Pics England. I hope you get the result you deserve. The scar is a good one considering your history.

Grow well and please keep us informed with clear pics. You know we have a different opinion on FUE mega sessions so i hope you can prove me wrong!

Best
SPEX

__________________
SpexHair UK Representative and Patient Advisor for:

Dr. Alan Feller, Coalition Member , Dr. William Lindsey, Coalition Member and Dr. Bijan Feriduni, Coalition Member

I am also the UK representative for Milena Lardi, Beauty Medical in Milan for their SMP technique.

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

England, How many months Post OP are you now? Any latest picture to post, buddy?

__________________
Hairline Repair + Scar Revision via BHT FUE with Dr. Feriduni on July 3, 2013
Scar Tricopigmentation with Dr. Koray Erdogan on May 3, 2013
2500 FUT (Hairline Repair) with Dr. Rahal on July 26, 2011
My Hair Treatments:
1- Alpecin Double Effect Shampoo (Daily)
2- Keratene Alphactive Retard Capsules (Once a day)
3- MOPC world Minoxidil 10% + Azelaic Acid 5% (Once a day)
My Rahal HT thread http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.co...ne-repair.html

Very detailed,informative write up England.I made the same mistake as you with Jeremy Isherwood but now having learnt from that mistake,you have picked an excellent surgeon in Dr Feriduni. Keep us posted with your progress.

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2 poor unsatisfactory hair transplants performed in the UK.

Based on vast research and meeting patients, I travelled to see Dr Feller in New York to get repaired.

Looks like clean work. Looking forward to some updates.

England,

Congratulations and thanks for taking the time to share such a well documented and detailed summary.

The work looks stellar. I hope you continue to present updates.

Best of luck!

__________________
David (TakingThePlunge)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant

I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice.

View my Hair Loss Website

Great presentation! I really love Dr. Feriduni's work, and this case is no exception. Look forward to watching your results progress.

Congratulations!

__________________
Blake (Future_HT_Doc)

Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice.

I have feelings that you are going to have great results, especially you didn't go so high in grafts number plus Dr. Feriduni used Manual FUE on you. I think you are 5 months post op now, surprise us with some latest post OP pics Buddy.

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Hairline Repair + Scar Revision via BHT FUE with Dr. Feriduni on July 3, 2013
Scar Tricopigmentation with Dr. Koray Erdogan on May 3, 2013
2500 FUT (Hairline Repair) with Dr. Rahal on July 26, 2011
My Hair Treatments:
1- Alpecin Double Effect Shampoo (Daily)
2- Keratene Alphactive Retard Capsules (Once a day)
3- MOPC world Minoxidil 10% + Azelaic Acid 5% (Once a day)
My Rahal HT thread http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.co...ne-repair.html

you have a crazy number of 3's!

__________________
2110 FUT grafts by DR. Raymond Konior on July 30th, 2012

Best HT advice I have ever heard: "Find a doctor that you need more than they need you." Author Unknown

Click Here to View Spanker's Website

Looks very clean! I am considering fue with feriduni so would be interested in an update and some pics if poss?