arlingsten
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lost my swagger, Thanks for your kind words. It has been pure hell the past few years. I have undergone several reconstructive cosmetic surgeries to make the scars smaller and much less noticeable. I look a lot better now than I looked right after M did his work on me. However, I still have a huge 6 inch by 1 inch scar in the back from ear to ear. I will need at least 3-4 more surgical procedures to shrink this huge scar, and for now I conceal it by using cover-ups (dermmatch.com).
Regarding Mangubat, I did a few quick searches and found him in his own words praising the 'benefits' of scalp reduction surgery (see below). This kind of surgery (the Brandy procedure) is what left me totally scarred and disfigured!! So much for the 'benefits'!!
As others have pointed out in this website, Brandy was sued and paid $400,000 in damages in part for performing the 'Brandy' scalp reduction procedure:
http://community.seattletimes....9960915&slug=2349352
M's own words speak volumes on his incompetence and the fact that he's clueless and oblivious to the harm he's done to many like me. Here are the links:
http://www.regrowth.com/hairlo...998/ashrs_monday.cfm
The Rise and Fall of Scalp Flaps, Reductions and Lifts
Tony Mangubat of Seattle, WA is one of the leading doctors performing scalp reductions. "I've noticed in the Seattle area over the last two years a fall in the area of scalp reductions... I was a little disappointed in it, and I was almost upset until I started looking at it in a more objective way... the answer to this question becomes very clear." Dr.Mangubat outlined his feelings on reductions and why he thinks the number of doctors performing the procedure has decreased. "We want fast results, we want a home run.. Managed care has caused an influx of newcomers. The fact is I make more income off of hair transplants than scalp lifting, so from a financial point of view maybe it's not such a bad idea..." The fall has been precipitated by an influx of newcomers due to doctors who are earning less due to managed care and HMOs. "These are all victims of our new managed care society," said Dr. Mangubat. Doctors coming in have been resistent to learning reductions, flaps, and lifts due to the steeper learning curve, greater risks, and marketing against reductions. The number of doctors performing are remaining steady, but the number of doctors coming into transplants are growing, so the overall percentage are lower.
http://www.regrowth.com/hairlo.../whs_1996_review.cfm
'a Brandy-style scalp lift with preservation of the occipital neurovascular bundle by Dr. Tony Mangubat, with assistance from Dr. Carlos Puig;
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I just saw your post and felt compelled to reply. Although you already have had 1 procedure done by Mangubat (M), you still can gain from my advice. I am a former patient of M and my advice is whatever you do, DO NOT go to M for any more procedures!!!!
I was also in my mid 20s when I signed up as M's patient. He suggested that I get 3-4 transplant sessions and 1-2 Scalp reduction surgeries (called 'Brandy' procedures after Dr. Dominic Brandy http://www.brandymd.com/ ). The worst decision I ever made in my life was to follow M's advice and have these procedures done. M left me SCARRED and DISFIGURED!!!!
I know this sounds unreal, but next time you see M, ask him about the 'Brandy' scalp reduction procedure and ask to see before/after photos of Brandy procedures. If he dismisses your request (says you don't need a Brandy) and refuses to show photos, ask yourself why is M refusing to show his own work? Is he hiding something? If you get to see the photos, look closely (even though he'll show a small Polaroid pics) and you'll notice a thick straight or horseshoe-shaped scar ?? - ?? inch from 1 temple to the crown and back to the other temple with no hair growing there. M left me with such a horrible scar and I've undergone numerous reconstructive surgeries, spending over $20K, to reduce the scars.
Although M may not do a Brandy on you, I mention this procedure for this reason: what does the Doctor care about most: your welfare and your well being OR the money he'll make from you?? In my case, without a doubt M only cared about his money! Otherwise he would have stopped himself from doing what he did to me, particularly the 2 Brandy procedures. He didn't know what he was doing and he didn't care! So he's definitely NOT a doctor to be in the care of!
You should also ask M about the scar in the back of your head (the donor area)? M told me about all my scars that they will eventually 'blend' with the surrounding skin and look much less prominent. That is a COMPLETE LIE!!! The scars will be with you for life with no hairs growing in that area ever.
I know you're very concerned and feel down about losing your hair. I felt the same way starting at 18 when it began for me. However, you don't have to go through what I went through with M! Not to mention forking over your savings to M!
A few pieces of advice for you:
1. The before/after pictures that Hair Transplant surgeons show you LIE because:
- The docs only show their best top 5% patients, and don't show you the average result or, as in my case, the bad results.
- The photos are typically low resolution, so may not clearly show the hairline or may be in low light, thereby concealing the thin density and unnatural look of the transplants.
2. Note that the following is based on my own experience and not medical advice:
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Regarding your hair loss, my advice is don't go for hair transplants. Instead, if you still have quite a bit of hair left, make an appointment with your family physician (NOT Mangubat!) asap and ask him/her about taking Avodart for stopping hairloss.
Apart from Avodart, the other 2 best known medications (minoxidol) and propecia are not as effective as Avodart which stops both kinds of DHT (the hormone that causes hairloss). Minoxidol is waste of money for most people since it only works for a few people and Propecia is good (because it blocks 1 kind of DHT) but not as good as Avodart. Avodart will not regrow any new hair but it will let you keep the hair you have. Also, although both Propecia and Avodart have potential harmful side effects (e.g. reduced sex drive), I have been taking Avodart for the past 2+ years with no side effects.
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If I could do it over again, I would have NEVER trusted M and NEVER let M lay a hand on me. Instead, I would have just accepted my baldness and not done any hair transplants. I would instead have shaved my head while we wait for a cure.
Unfortunately, M left me with huge scars on my head and so I can't just shave my head. Instead I'm forced to wear concealers to hide the ugly scars on my head. You don't have to go through what I've been through! I would have also started on Avodart long ago, thereby keeping more of my own hair
Although the idea of being thin on top may not sound appealing, there is new hope for a cure. I've been following 2 companies (http://www.intercytex.com/icx/products/aesthetic/icxtrc/ and http://www.follicabio.com/) that may soon have the answer for us.
FYI, for any cynical readers out there, I am in no way associated with either company and will not profit even 1 dollar if these companies succeed. Also, neither of these companies currently have a commercially viable product, so obviously I can't recommend that you spend your money on their products.
Best of luck to you!
What Does it Mean to be ABHRS Board Certified?
in Hair Transplant Reviews
Posted
Dr. Tony Mangubat is INCOMPETENT!!!! Aka Dr. E. Antonio Mangubat is INCOMPETENT!!!
I am a former patient of Dr. Tony Mangubat ('M')(E. Antonio Mangubat, South Center Cosmetic Surgery, http://www.southcentercosmetic.com ) and whatever you do, DO NOT become M's patient. As I describe below, he is INCOMPETENT!! Before M was his currently advertised 'breast implants, liposuction, tummy tuck' specialist, he was for years a hair transplant doctor. Although my HORRIBLE experience as a hair transplant patient of M may not provide you with direct advice about the procedure you are considering, I urge you to read my story, or at least the articles in the links below before even considering M as your doctor.
As a hair transplant doctor, M did a number of 'Brandy-style scalp reductions' surgeries on me (named after Dominic Brandy, http://www.brandymd.com/) that left me SCARRED AND DISFIGURED!!!! D. Brandy was SUED for performing these procedures. Follow these links for news articles with the facts about this:
http://community.seattletimes....9960915&slug=2349352
http://www.deseretnews.com/art...SH-WITH-THE-LAW.html
Also follow this link below and scroll down for proof that Mangubat performed the procedures pioneered by Dominic Brandy:
http://regrowth.com/hairloss-c.../whs_1996_review.cfm
From the regrowth website: 'a Brandy-style scalp lift with preservation of the occipital neurovascular bundle by Dr. Tony Mangubat, with assistance from Dr. Carlos Puig;'
Mangubat claims that the Brandy-scalp reduction procedures were 'the state of the art 15 years ago' when he performed such procedures but then WHY WAS DR. DOMINIC BRANDY SUED AND PAID DAMANGES for performing these procedures in 1996'?!!!! Yes, Brandy was sued in 1996, not 2010, so in the 1990s there procedures were STATE of the SH*T and only the work of TOTALLY INCOMPETENT DOCTORS like MANGUBAT!!!!
At any initial consult w/ M, at a minimum, you should ask M:
1. Although may not be related to your procedure, ask M if he has he performed scalp reduction surgeries (called 'Brandy scalp reduction procedures' after Dominic Brandy). If he doesn't lie, the answer will be yes, because he has done this procedure on numerous victims, including me.
2. Ask him to show you before and after pictures of the 'Brandy' procedures. If he dismisses your request (says that has nothing to do with your procedure) and refuses to show photos, ask yourself why is M refusing to show his own work? Is he hiding something??
Although your procedure may be very different, you will get a very good idea of M's HORRIBLE and INCOMPETENT work by seeing these pics. As I've described below, M butchered my scalp and left me with a horrible, thick horseshoe-shaped scar ?? inch from 1 temple to the crown and back to the other temple with no hair growing there. Beware that pics may have hair combed over the scars, and this is nothing less than TOTALLY MISLEADING and a lie b/c it conceals the true result, i.e. SCARS all over the head!
With respect to pics, very Important: The before/after photos that some cosmetic surgeons show you are VERY MISLEADING because:
- Some doctors only show their best top 10% patients, and don't show you the average result or, as in my case, the horrible results.
- The photos are typically low resolution, so e.g for hair transplants, they may not clearly show the hairline or may be in low light, thereby concealing the scars and the thin density and unnatural look of the hair transplants.
Here's the rest of my story:
I was in my 20s when I signed up as M's patient. He suggested that I get 3-4 transplant sessions and 1-2 Scalp reduction surgeries (called 'Brandy' scalp reduction procedures). The worst decision I ever made in my life was to follow M's advice and have these procedures done. M left me SCARRED and DISFIGURED!!!!
My result was a horseshoe shaped scar ?? inch thick and 6-8 inches long on each side from each temple to the crown!!!! I've had to undergo numerous reconstructive surgeries, spending over $20K, to reduce the scars.
As I mentioned above, Dominic Brandy was SUED for performing such scalp reduction surgeries:
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Sunday, September 15, 1996 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Suit: Bad Hair Transplant Caused Suicide Attempt
By Jeffrey Bair
AP
PITTSBURGH - Michael Potkul says he was told he would have a scar no wider than the stroke of a pen if he underwent surgery to rearrange his scalp to get a full head of hair.
Instead, he claims, he ended up with scars from his temples to his neck and depression that drove him to attempt suicide. And he's still losing his hair.
Potkul, 33, took off his hairpiece yesterday to show the marks to a jury - including three men with thinning hair - that is hearing his $1.3 million malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Dominic A. Brandy.
Potkul said Brandy sugar-coated the risks of surgery and operated repeatedly despite the deterioration of his scalp. Brandy claims Potkul signed a consent form that mentioned scarring, then abandoned treatment before a final, essential operation.
"If you do enough cases, you're going to have patients here and there who will voice their displeasure in a courtroom," said Jerry Brandy, the doctor's brother and executive director of his practice.
Potkul said he contacted Dominic Brandy six years ago after seeing him on a talk show. Potkul's hair was beginning to thin, and his brothers were being teased about going bald.
"Everything depends on looks. You can turn on the TV at night and see 30 infomercials about everything you can do to your body - diet videos, all that stuff. I wanted to look like everybody else. I wanted to look good," Potkul said during a break in the trial in Allegheny County Court.
Brandy performed five operations to stretch hairy skin from the back of Potkul's head to the top and to transfer grafts of hairy scalp to cover bald spots, Potkul said. The sixth operation would have been another scalp graft.
But Potkul said he was so depressed by the results of the first five operations that he shot himself in the chest in 1992. The bullet missed his heart and went out his back.
Brandy severed key arteries as he tried to stretch Potkul's scalp, stunting hair growth instead of encouraging it, said Dr. Ernest Manders, Potkul's new plastic surgeon. He said he is reluctant to alter Potkul's scalp any more because the skin could die.
Manders said that, as an associate editor of a medical journal, he once rejected an article submitted by Brandy on scalp reconstruction because the methods were "potentially harmful" and had "significant limitations."
Brandy has been in practice for 15 years and runs an ad campaign for his services in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.
"Dominic Brandy is a salesman who just happens to have a medical degree," Potkul said. "He really needs somebody to come along and wake him up to what he is doing and make him clean up his act."
Copyright © 1996 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.
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I did a few quick searches and found M in his own words praising the 'benefits' of scalp reduction surgery (see below). This kind of surgery (the Brandy procedure) is what left me totally scarred and disfigured!! Not to mention that Brandy was SUED for doing these procedures!! So much for the 'benefits'!!
M's own words speak volumes on his incompetence and the fact that he's clueless and oblivious to the harm he's done to many like me. Here are the links:
http://www.regrowth.com/hairlo...998/ashrs_monday.cfm
The Rise and Fall of Scalp Flaps, Reductions and Lifts
[Tony Mangubat of Seattle, WA is one of the leading doctors performing scalp reductions. "I've noticed in the Seattle area over the last two years a fall in the area of scalp reductions... I was a little disappointed in it, and I was almost upset until I started looking at it in a more objective way... the answer to this question becomes very clear." Dr.Mangubat outlined his feelings on reductions and why he thinks the number of doctors performing the procedure has decreased. "We want fast results, we want a home run.. Managed care has caused an influx of newcomers. The fact is I make more income off of hair transplants than scalp lifting, so from a financial point of view maybe it's not such a bad idea..." The fall has been precipitated by an influx of newcomers due to doctors who are earning less due to managed care and HMOs. "These are all victims of our new managed care society," said Dr. Mangubat. Doctors coming in have been resistent to learning reductions, flaps, and lifts due to the steeper learning curve, greater risks, and marketing against reductions. The number of doctors performing are remaining steady, but the number of doctors coming into transplants are growing, so the overall percentage are lower.]
If I could do it over again, I would have NEVER trusted M and NEVER let M lay a hand on me. Instead, I would have just accepted my hairloss and not permitted M to butcher my head!! I would have shaved my head while we wait for a cure to hairloss.
Unfortunately, M left me with huge scars on my head and so I can't just shave my head. Instead I'm forced to wear concealers to hide the ugly scars on my head. Anyone considering M DOES NOT have to go through what I've been through. So I strongly recommend that YOU STAY AWAY FROM TONY MANGUBAT (aka E. ANTONIO MANGUBAT)!!!!