Hey guys,
For the past couple of months I’ve been reading this forum, gathering information, and debating whether or not I want to proceed with a hair transplant. After weighing in the risks, I decided to proceed forward with the idea. Today, I want to give-back to the community and share my recent hair transplant experience with Dr. Bhatti from Darling Buds (India). This may be especially valuable for those of you considering such venture. Here is the short version:
Number of Grafts: ~3750 grafts
Procedure Type: FUE
Duration: 2 days
Cost: ~$6,000 USD (includes lodging, meals, air-travel, transportation, administrative cost, etc.)
If you have some time to kill, take a look at the comprehensive write-up below:
Decision
Following a conscious decision to proceed with the surgery, I wanted to find a cost-effective solution without a sacrifice in quality (don’t we all?). After reading multiple forums and doing lots of homework, I’ve decided go forth with a trip to India and have Dr. Bhatti perform the transplant.
Travel
First, I had to obtain an Indian visa, which was fairly a straightforward process that took about 2 weeks and cost approximately $100. I then flew out of JFK, New York to New Delhi via Air India as this was a direct flight with no stopover. The flight was about 13 hours and sitting in coach for this duration was not on my priority list. I should note, however, that I travel around the world for a living and my job pays for business class air-travel so I may be a bit biased here. Following my arrival, the office had arranged a driver who met me at the airport and drove me to Chandigarh (location of the clinic). The ride was about 5 hours and the cost was about $65 one-way. Given the duration of the flight and the drive, I would strongly recommend against the drive. In the future, I will be sure to book a flight from New Delhi to Chandigarh (as per Dr. Bhatti’s original advice), which can be surprisingly booked for $100-$125.
Hotel & Transportation
The office took great care in arranging daily transportation to and from my hotel “The Altius,” which was incredible in terms of value (this could easily be a 4-5 star hotel in the US and @ $55 per night it was clearly a steal). The hotel was super clear and the staff was amazing. The ride from and to the clinic was about $3 one way and the hotel as well as the clinic took care of all the arrangements throughout the whole process. I should also add that the hotel has some amazing food and my dinner typically ranged between $10-$20. I must say this is THE hotel to stay at in Chandigarh.
Hair Transplant
I arrived at the office an hour earlier than scheduled. Not sure if I was excited, worried about not making the appointment on schedule, or just jetlagged. In any event the procedure was spread out over the duration of two days and approximately 3750 grafts were transplanted. Dr. Bhatti has capability to do this in one day, but given a few free days, we thought this was the best option.
Prior to the procedure, I had a chance to sit down and discuss my hairline. As many of you, I wanted to not only cover all of the bolding and the receding hairline, but also lower it a bit. Thus, as the doctor drew what he felt was a natural hairline given my ethnicity and physical features, I quickly grabbed the marker and drew one of my own. He smiled and despite my extensive and arguably logical explanations for my drawing, proceeded to explain not only the technical aspects of a hair line, but also the importance of having a “natural look” that you could always “touch up” as opposed to an artificial appearance that is not only very hard to correct, but will solicit unwanted inquiries. Needless to say, I quickly realized that I was in the right hands.
The actual procedure was painless with the exception of minor discomfort here and there, which was quickly mitigated by adding extra anesthesia shots. Dr. Bhatti kept me well informed about everything he was doing throughout the process, which took off the edge. He was especially good at doing this during times when my heart monitor was accelerating its beeping frequency J. I should also note that he staff was extremely friendly and snacks as well as lunch was provided daily. The office recommended an mp3 player or some other form of personal entertainment to help kill time, however, I did not bring anything. I should also say that despite being in the clinic from 7:30am to 4:00pm, I did not experience boredom. It is important to also note that Dr. Bhatti is moving to a brand-new state-of-the art facility on March 15th, 2013.
Post-Op
There was absolutely no pain immediately post-op or at night. I did have to sleep flat on my back, however, to prevent potential loss of grafts due to tossing and turning. I also felt fine immediately after the procedure with no residual effects of local anesthesia. Despite this I was advised to remain at the facility for an additional hour, which was a part of the standard post-op monitoring process. The staff took their time explaining the 3-day post-op pill regimen.
Intangibles
Dr. Bhatti timely answers all emails and inquiries. I found this to be a pleasant surprise as routine (initial) inquiries (similar questions that all patients have ) are typically addressed by support staff in other institutions.
There is no hidden fees or superfluous charges. There is a high-level of price transparency and the agreed price per graft is precisely what you pay.
Special thanks to a well known Miami-New York hair-transplant doctor for not wavering on the $5 per graft price and the detailed MBA 101 write-up supporting the price. You made my choice that much easier!
The first several days following surgery are critical. It is easy to lose grafts. I found this out the hard way when I bumped by head against the cabby’s roof. Dr. Bhatti was there again to save the day and re-insert the loose grafts FREE of charge.
