Mr1KJ1 ASMED DR KORAY ERDOGAN

 

I have spent the last couple of years reading stories/ testimonies and watching YouTube videos in search for a solution to my hair loss. Everything I had read and watched, gave me confidence that I could too, find a treatment that would end the nightmare I was in.

After I had received my treatment, I planned to just move on with my life like nothing had happened, I am a quiet guy and didn’t really think my story would benefit anyone. So what changed? During my trip I met a group of guys from all corners of the planet who all shared my story. Our story had led us all to seek treatment for our various stages of alopecia. Like I said previously, I have read and looked at almost everything on the internet but speaking in person to the people who all shared my story was liberating. I had spent the last 5 years covering up my receding areas that well that even my best friend didn’t even know I was going bald.

So what treatment did I seek?

I have read and studied all the treatments available and I believed that FUE (follicle Unit extraction) would best suit my needs as it was less invasive that FUT. I have seen thousands of before and after pictures using the FUE Procedure so that was what I set my heart on. I found that hundreds of clinics were offering FUE all over the world, reading all the forums and blogs, Turkey stood out for being the best for FUE due to their experience in HT, competitive prices and MOST importantly the results I was seeing.

So what Clinic did I choose and why?

This is the most important decision you will make throughout the journey you’re on. My decision would be based on the:- Reviews I’ve read, The results I’ve seen, The price of the procedure, whether the clinic was part of the all the HT organisations, my confidence in whether the clinic suited me personally and the reputation of the Doctor.

After applying all my above criteria, my decision was narrowed down to one clinic, I felt this clinic matched me perfectly. The results coming out of the clinic were amazing, the pictures of the clinic looked “state of the art”, I couldn’t find a single bad review of the clinic and the Doctor who headed the clinic is known for being progressive, innovative and a Leader in the industry with brilliant reviews and respect from his peers.

The clinic I chose – Asmed – Dr Koray Erdogan

 

So what now?

First impressions are very important to me and when I logged onto the ASMED website I was not disappointed. I was instantly impressed with the site, It is very professional, easy to navigate and contains all the information I needed and more! So for me, this was a good start on my journey! I filled out the online consultation and waited for my quote. I received my quote promptly which again impressed me, the quote I received was 3800 to 4000 grafts. The quote also included transfers to and from the airport, clinic and hotel plus accommodation, medical packages (I will include technical data further on).

 

Did I book the operation?

After receiving the quote, it daunted on me that I was actually on the verge of seeking treatment. Even though I had been looking at all the forums/ reading blogs and actively looking for a solution, I was on auto pilot throughout! Thinking about doing it and actually doing it are so far apart. Receiving the quote had made my whole situation real and nerve racking. I actually held off from booking for around 8 to 9 months. During this time I still kept in touch with the clinic asking so many questions. I was in email contact with a lovely lady called Sevinj, she is the patient coordinator. She answered every question I had in a timely manner and gave me advice on how to stabilize my hair loss. What impressed me during our correspondence was that I never felt obligated to book an operation. They were happy just to answer my questions, this reaffirmed that I had made the right choice in choosing Asmed clinic as clearly patient care comes first.

I would like to personally thank you Sevinj, you have been amazing throughout and you are a credit to Asmed!

 

So now the operation is booked!

After much deliberation I finally plucked up the courage to book, I emailed Sevinj and she replied with a booking form. The booking form asks health questions for obvious reasons and I was required to transfer 1000 euro deposit. After all this, I received my conformation email! My operation date was 16^th 17^th of November 2017 and my final consultation with Dr Koray Erdogan was the day before on the 15^Th November (pre op). My journey now had a destination, I felt nervous but equally excited. I am going to Istanbul Turkey!

 

What do I need to take?

First things first, I had a date so the next step was to book my time off work. I booked 3 weeks in total, I had been saving my holiday entitlement just in case I booked the operation. The first week included my travel and operation dates with two weeks rest and recovery back home. Now I needed flights what fitted around the itinerary I had received from Asmed, I found cheap flights online for me and my companion but these included transfers in Amsterdam which wouldn’t be ideal for travelling home after the operation. I would advise direct flights. If you are from the UK as I am, you will need a VISA for Turkey. I travelled to Sabiha Gokcen airport where I paid £20 on entry at passport control. Also travelling with over 10k in any currency requires you to declare it but I just split the money with my companion and we had no problems at any airport.

It’s the day of travel

So the moment is here, the moment is now real, I am all packed and ready to go. I will spare you the flight details. When I arrived at Sabiha Gokcen airport, I passed through customs with ease, like I said previously, you will need a VISA which can be obtained on arrival. I made my way through customs and I was met by the Asmed driver who was holding my name up. The driver was dressed in a sharp suit, I noticed this as all the other drivers waiting to pick people up were not. He shook my hand, welcomed me to Turkey and took my case. I followed him out of the terminal to our awaiting vehicle, which was an executive Mercedes. I was again very impressed and filled with confidence as Asmed had told me this would all happen, it was the perfect start to my trip as it had all gone to plan like the Asmed itinerary had stated.

 

Radisson blu Asia… My home for the next couple of days

I had previously checked out this hotel on the internet as I knew this was where I was staying. Asmed Offer the choice of staying at their clinic or the Radisson blu, as I was being accompanied by my friend, this would be the best option as it had the gym, spa etc. The hotel is 5 star so is amazing like you would expect. The food was good with lots of choice, we had room service most nights after the operation as I was tired and just wanted to chill out. The menu is priced in Turkish Lira, when I first looked I thought it was in Euros which nearly gave me a heart attack! The hotel staff knew I was with Asmed, they delivered me special pillows for my stay which I would need. All the staff were great during my whole stay.

 

My first day

I am not going to lie, I was really nervous! I made my way down to the hotel lobby where I would be picked up by the Asmed driver. You can make your own arrangements for travel but I chose to use Asmed as I felt I didn’t need the stress of organising my own taxi. As I sat waiting in the lobby, I scanned the area looking for other HT patients but no one stood out. The Asmed driver arrived and with a lump in my throat I stood up, To my surprise a couple who were sat near me in the lobby also stood up, I was starting my journey with someone else which made me feel so much better. I introduced myself to the couple and before long we were chatting about our experiences which were so similar, I instantly felt at ease.

 

 

Asmed Clinic

 

 

WOW! Just WOW! The door on the Asmed Car rolled back to reveal the front of the clinic, I got out the car and I was confronted by a beautiful Modern glass building! I had seen pictures but in person, this building is even more impressive. We were lead to the door but before we could enter the clinic, our shoes where wrapped in plastic by modern heat shrinking machines that I’d never seen before. This showed me how serious Asmed are about cleanliness and again reaffirmed to me that choosing Asmed was the right decision. As we entered the super modern lobby we were greeted by a lovely lady who was at the front desk, she took our names then offered us a seat in the lobby. The lobby area was amazing, it has a big tropical fish tank, a beautiful white piano, modern sculptures and glass offices. The lobby was a real feast for the eyes.

 

Now what’s the process?

I was wasn’t waiting long in the lobby before I was lead to a medical room by my patient coordinator to have my Heart monitored, blood taken and have my blood pressure taken. Again everything was state of the art, super Hygienic and made clear to me what was happening and why the tests are taken. This made me feel really comfortable.

From the medical room I was taken to the professional photography room. This is where I would have my pictures taken with my current hair, I was a bit embarrassed as I still had my comb over but the ladies were so professional, I guess they have seen my condition a thousand times before. I can’t name all the instruments and types of camera that were used but the whole process was extremely scientific with a lot of discussion and analysis going on between the staff and Dr Koray Erdogan.

My next stop would be to have a meeting with Dr Koray Erdogan himself, I was really excited to talk to him as I had seen so many YouTube videos and blogs, the meeting was held in his office. We discussed my hair type in great detail, including more hair thickness measurements being taken, my donor area was discussed and a preliminary hair line drawn. Dr Koray Erdogan also asked me questions about my health, my expectations for the surgery and many other questions. I filled out consent forms etc. I left Dr Koray’s office feeling great, I had all my questions and concerns answered, I was now 100% convinced that I had made all the right decisions in relation to seek surgery for my alopecia, the type of surgery to have and choosing Asmed and Dr Koray Erdogan to carry out the procedure.

 

Time to pay

After my meeting with Dr Koray, I was lead back to the lobby where the glass offices are. This is where I was to pay for my operation, the price had already been quoted to me in emails previously so I knew how much I was expected to pay. I did cater for the worst case scenario, my graft estimate in the emails was 4000 so I had bought enough money to cover this. I paid in euros but you can pay in pounds and Dollars.

 

Good Bye comb over!

After payment I was lead to the hair washing facility, in fact it was really like a hair salon with the wash basins etc. I sat and watched as my new HT friend had his hair shaved off. Now it was my turn, I had never had my hair shaved and my current style was really long to cover my receding parts, I was actually relieved that this was about to happen. Two minutes later my head was shaved. I spent double that time just looking in the mirror at my new haircut. I would like to point out that we all had our own shavers which were brand new, I was impressed as I didn’t even consider this, again this shows the lengths that Asmed go to maintain their extremely high hygiene standards.

 

 

New Look, more pictures

I was now back in the photography room where more pictures would be taken of my new shaved head. It was a similar process to what I had previously with hair, very scientific again. Dr Koray Erdogan and the surgical staff discussed their plan for my surgery including my donor areas and hair line. This is where the final say on my hair line would be made, I was ecstatic with my new hair line, it was similar to what I had in my younger days and a million times better than my non-existent hairline I currently had. My consultation day was now done, everything thing had been discussed and agreed, all parties were happy and now it was back to the Radisson Blu to rest in preparation for my surgery.

 

1^st day of my surgery

Morning was here, I was scheduled to be picked up at 7 am by Asmed, so I went down to the hotel restaurant to grab breakfast. I as opened the door to the restaurant I immediately noticed a table with 4 guys who had head bandages on, my group had just got bigger. I sat down with my new group and introduced myself. They were in various stages of their operations, we chatted and had a good laugh about things and they told me what to expect from my first day. This helped settle my nerves massively. One of the guys suggested making a What’s app group, this is a brilliant idea as we have all chatted constantly since, helping each other answer questions etc.. A bit like a support group.

Our Asmed car arrived perfectly on time as usual. I arrived at Asmed clinic and followed all the procedures on entering the clinic like the plastic footwear wrap etc. We were warmly greeted by the staff and lead down stairs to get changed into our operation clothing. After we had got changed, we were then taken to the staff room where we would wait for a couple of minutes, have a drink and relax. We then had our heads washed before going to see the Dr Umut, he was the anaesthetist and in charge of our pain relief. Dr Umut is a funny, well-educated and clever guy, I enjoyed our chats during the rest breaks.

 

Operation time!

My patient coordinator lead me to the operation theatre, as I walked in, I was met by big smiling faces, these lovely ladies were my surgical assistants who would extract my follicles and then implant the grafts into my recipient area. The surgical assistants explained to me everything that would happen and the whole procedure. I had my blood pressure taken and my heart would be monitored throughout the whole operation. I was then given anaesthetic to numb my donor area, when the area was numb, the surgical staff would start their work. During the operation I could watch movies, surf the internet or listen to music on the iPad given to me. I chose to listen to music as this is what chills me out most. My operation was scheduled for two days as a maximum of 3000 grafts are taken per day and my operation required 4000 grafts so would be split into two days and 2000 grafts per day.

 

Pain? Not really

I had read some blogs what spoke about pain during the operation, the only pain I felt was during the initial numbing of my donor area. They use the anaesthetic to numb the area and that stings a little but not majorly.

 

Dinner time

My grafts had now been taken from my donor area, I was cleaned up and taken to the dinner room where I could relax and grab a bite to eat. Dr Umut would be present to chat with us and give additional pain relief if required. Whilst we ate, our grafts are prepared ready for the second part of the operation during where the grafts will be placed into the recipient area.

I want to point out that going from one area to another area required changing into different coloured slip on shoes, this again showed the brilliant hygiene procedures that are in place at Asmed Clinic.

My dinner was now over, my patient coordinator came to take me back to the operating theatre. Dr Koray Erdogan Began the operation by created the incisions that the grafts would be placed in, when all incisions were made. The Surgical assistants starting placing the grafts, again I was allowed to watch films etc. When the grafts were finished for the day, I was taken to the hair wash facility where I had laser therapy. Laser therapy stimulates the blood to the head to help the grafts. Dr Koray Erdogan then inspected the grafts to make sure all was ok. I then had pictures taken before I was bandaged up and able to go back to the hotel to rest. I had spent approximately 10 hours at the clinic, the day went by quite quickly for me, and the staff were great but I was tired out. I was given a neck pillow which I would need to use to keep my head straight during sleep, and other information. I was taken back to our hotel and as I was tired from the day, I just chilled out and ordered room service.

 

Day Two and first wash day

I will keep day two brief as it was pretty much the same as day one, everything ran perfectly. At the end of the operation, I was given my medical package which included shampoo, Hydration foam and Finasteride. I was also given the shaver they had used on me, I was gifted an Asmed branded mobile phone power supply which is a very nice touch. A professional Asmed folder which contained all my technical data of the operation and a letter confirming my operation and amount of liquids in case I was stopped by customs. A memory stick with every picture that had been taken plus a hair washing instruction video and a Gantt chart with instructions regarding post operation care. Asmed had every base covered.

 

It was now time to say good bye to Dr Koray Erdogan and all the staff that had been amazing to me during my stay. All that was left, was for me to return on Saturday to get my hair washed and receive hair wash instructions.

 

 

TOTAL 4100 grafts Ratio 2.29 hair per graft

Temporal 410

Pariental 1620

Occipital 2070

 

Asmed Clinic

To say I am happy I chose Asmed for my procedure is an understatement, they have taken care of everything in a highly professional manner. I have been able to relax throughout my journey as I know Asmed are in total control.

The Clinic itself, is state of the art, Hygiene is impeccable and the whole aura around the clinic makes it a relaxing and stress free place to be. Asmed Clinic is deservedly one of the best clinics in the world and having spent time here I agree with what I have read by previous patrons.

The Asmed Staff

The staff have been amazing from the very first email I sent to my continued aftercare support I am still receiving now that I am back home. The staff love their jobs and it clearly shows in the care they are giving, I have never received better care in my life. I was greeted by smiles throughout my stay and there was nothing that they would not do to help. It felt like being in a family atmosphere.

All the Asmed staff are a credit to their professions and of course a credit to Asmed itself. The staff are a massive part of why Asmed is so great!

 

Special Thanks

During my stay at Asmed, I have met some wonderful staff.

I would firstly like to Thank Sevinc, you have answered all my questions promptly and relayed any fears I had. I thank you for your continued support and aftercare. You have been brilliant!

I would like to thank the surgical assistants who worked their magic on me. Thankyou Sevinc, Yasemin, Naciye, Cansu, Irem and Buse . Throughout my operation you were friendly, informative and professional and were happy to listen to my choice of music! You were all lovely throughout and made the operation easy to cope with. Thank you x

Suzana! What an amazing women you are! Clever and beautiful! With the best smile! Thank you for everything from start to finish! You made my whole experience at Asmed relaxed and stress free, you explained and translated everything perfectly. Your professionalism was immense and you are a credit to Asmed. Thank you xx

Dr Koray Erdogan.

Thank you for everything, you have an amazing clinic with amazing staff! My whole stay has been perfect and I am very happy to recommend you and your company to anyone. You are a credit to HT and the community. You continue to push the industry along with your innovation, professionalism and passion. Your work has made my life better and that of countless others. Thank you!

 

 

 

Overall review Conclusion

My review is based on my initial contact through to having the operation with Asmed. The review is aimed at giving you an insight of what to expect and hopefully it is informative to some extent. I do not have the final results but if my experience with Asmed is anything to go by, my hair should be amazing! Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey and I am more than happy to update you with my progression.

 

Shout out!

 

HT_FANBOY watch this guy on YouTube, brilliant and very informative!