Steven Gabel, MD, FACS

Dr. Feller

I appreciate your positive comments and support.

Steve Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I have posted several of your before, intraoperative, and 1 week postoperative photographs in the photo album section of the forum.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=153548

Steven Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

I believe that the first two weeks following surgery are the most critical. And it is important to understand that each person heals at different speeds; some people look amazing after one week while others take a little more time to look the same way.

For the incision, it is important not to stretch it or put any undo forces opposing the edges of the incision. This will just lead to more collagen formation, and ultimately, a larger scar. I tell all my patients to allow the incision to heal well before any strenuous activity.

Grafts: After two weeks, the grafts are seeded pretty well. Again, I ask my patients not to put any undo stress on the transplanted grafts for about a month or when they start to shed. I do this for a couple reasons; one, that is a healing area and I don't want anything to compromise the healing process. Living in the Northwest, I've had several patients ask me if they can go skiing with helmets on 2 weeks after surgery (especially this season with fantastic snow). I let them know that I think it is still too early to allow anything to be rubbing on that area. Usually when the grafts start to shed, then I believe they can resume their normal activity. The second reason is that every patient has put a lot of effort into the surgical procedure, not just the time of the procedure, but the time after the procedure caring for the surgical sites. Having them wait a couple extra weeks to insure that the grafts are completely seeded and will not be damaged by outside factors is worth the wait.

Steven Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

Bill

I appreciate your support for my membership into the Coalition. And as I recently posted, it was a pleasure having Pat out to the office to demonstrate the work that we are doing. He spent the entire day with us allowing him to evaluate my practice, surgical technique, and our patient care from start to finish.

It is our primary goal at Northwest Surgical Hair Restoration to achieve outstanding results with great attention to all details of the patient's experience from the initial consultation, surgery, and follow up care.

Thank you.

Steve Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

www.nwshr.com

I'd like to thank everyone for their positive support for Coalition Membership. It was a pleasure having Pat out to the office to see the work that we perform.

Steve Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

You've certainly named some fine surgeons, but since you live in Chicago, I'd give Dr. Konior a call. He is an excellent surgeon and can show you plenty of examples of his work. He is a recommended physician with the Hair Transplant Network, a Coalition member, and you can find more info about him on this web site.

I wish you the best.

Steve Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

Thank you for posting your experience.

I have posted your photographs in the patient photo album section of the forums.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=147890

Your in great hands with Dr. Shapiro. I look forward to seeing your results.

Steve Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

The time that the grafts seed and are difficult to "pull out or pop out" varies from patient to patient. After transplant surgery, I give my patients a detailed instruction sheet that outlines what they are to do each day after surgery. When patients are finished with surgery, I make sure each graft is in proper position and seeded correctly. I ask them to come into the office the day after surgery to make sure all the grafts remain in the correct position, and if a few need adjusting, we do it at that time. We also do an extensive washing for them so the transplanted and donor area are clean. For the two weeks following surgery, I ask them not to scrub or rub their scalp just in case there are some loose grafts that need more time to lock into position. This time can vary after surgery so when they return for staple or suture removal, I will instruct them on their further post-operative care.

Steve Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

No Buzz

This is an excellent question. In my clinic, I make all the incisions and determine the depth that the grafts will be placed at. After the strip is taken, it is slivered and the grafts are produced from the slivers. This is all done under microscopes to minimize any transection and maximize the yield from the strip. Next, I will physically measure the length of the grafts. The measurement can vary between 3.7 mm and 4.5 mm; each patient is different and therefore measurements are taken for each case; and in some cases, I'll take measurements for the different sized follicular units as this can vary as well. As a final step, I will test the fit of the graft for all the different sized follicular units to make sure they sit well before I proceed with making a majority of the slits for the case.

Steven Gabel, M.D.

Portland, Oregon

503-693-1118

In an earlier post, I was asked to introduce myself ??“ so here I am. My practice is in Hillsboro, Oregon, which is just outside Portland. For those of you that not been out to the Northwest, it is a beautiful part of the country, although a little rainy during the winter months. I've been involved with hair restoration since 1999. I am committed to providing state of the art hair restoration for my patients. I spend a lot of time with my patients during the consultation process to understand their goals and tailor my approach to achieve the goals they are seeking. I appreciate the post by one of my patients who had a positive experience with me. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Steven Gabel, M.D.

Northwest Surgical Hair Restoration

503-693-1118

DrGabel@nwshr.com

P.S. Pat ??“ After reading all the comments about my technician's singing ability, perhaps we need a forum where that can be critiqued along with the surgical experience ??“ just kidding!