DaveOHiggins

Thanks, yes it has already made a big difference !

Yes it was between Norwood 4 and 5

Hi, Sadly only the clinic has the pre-ops. Yes, it was a Norwood only. I didn't have enough grafts for the middle.

Hey Folks, I had a HT done in late '21 - FUT - 4500 grafts - Front third of scalp. I decided to go with Hattingen after doing a lot of research (mostly on this excellent website actually ) My initial consultations with Sever Muresanu, surgeon at Hattingen, were over Zoom. He immediately struck me as a bright, honest and expert person, with a passion for his job and a straightforward manner. We waited 6 months until the HT due to his waitlist. I flew to Geneva and took the train to Schaffhausen, having organised an airbnb near Stetten, where the clinic is. In the months before, during and after the HT, Carmen, Hattingen’s PA, was a huge help at all times in organising logistics, advice re travel and accommodation, payment issues, and even emotional support at times during a particularly low ebb…. I cannot say thank you enough to Carmen! On meeting Sever and his wonderful wife Laura I was instantly put at ease, I knew the operation was going to be a success. I slept well the night before and on Day 1 the first half of the operation was completed. I had about 2500 grafts on Day 1, and 2000 on Day 2 The theatre was spotless and the transplant team all knew their jobs perfectly. I spent most of Day 1 and Day 2 (the second half of the operation) asleep due to the sedative! Actually at times it was very relaxing. However it all turned a bit traumatic after the second day. Being groggy - and having nobody accompanying me to Switzerland - I obviously had to take care of myself, and on getting out of a taxi when I was back at my Airbnb, , I wasn’t concentrating, and I bumped the front right-hand side of my head on the side of the inside of the car. I didn’t feel much due to the anaesthetic but I did feel the impact. When I got the bathroom at the Airbnb I could see that I had damaged that front-righthand section which was bleeding in a section of about 2 inches x 2 inches. I was really upset as I felt I had ruined the whole operation! I called Carmen - it was now 7pm - and even though it was so late, she picked my call and asked me to take a photo of the problem area and send it to her via smartphone. She then sent it onto Sever and Laura, and Laura arranged immediately for me to meet her at the office, which was 30 minutes away, so she could take a look. At 8pm (!) she arrived and opened the office for me. She washed the area again, and examined the grafts carefully. I’d lost a few, but she said it was nothing to worry about, and I went home feeling better. Imagine the level of service to interrupt your family’s dinner to make sure a patient was ok! On Day 3 I went to the office one last time, where I had a final consultation by Sever and Laura. They sent me on their way and I said a goodbye to the team, who had also been wonderful. I returned to the UK that day, with a doctor’s note allowing me to keep my bandana on for privacy at security checks etc. The weeks following the HT were the most worrying. The section where I had bumped my head had started to scab up worse than the rest of my head, and I was truly sick at the prospect of having ruined a great job by the Hattingen team due to a second of my absent-mindedness in the taxi. My scalp looked terrible, full of scabs and I was tired, lonely and depressed. Apparently this is normal , even without the worry of the head bump bleed! Carmen was a great help at this point and she would keep telling me not to worry, to stay positive, and that she was almost certain nothing bad would come from the bump. Sever also had several consultations with me every month or so on Zoom, to see how I was. I was very impressed by the post-op care from him. He often asked me for photo updates and he would advise me if anything didn’t look correct. I also developed a dermatitis of the scalp, which he helped me treat by recommending a shampoo , Nizoral, which seems to have cleared most of it up. 10 months after the operation, I can see that I’m likely to have a good result from the operation. A lot of healthy looking hair has grown and there is also a prospect of even more… Am keeping fingers tightly crossed for some more hair by October 25th, the one year anniversary of the operation. Would I recommend Hattingen and team? Absolutely. First class pre-op, operative, and post-op care. There are a few cheaper HT clinic out there but I very much doubt there are many better. Thank you to Sever, Laura Muresanu, Carmen, and team! Pic 1 = Day 2, bump on head Pic 2 = 2 weeks Pics 3, 4 = 9 months post op (I've just washed my hair, sorry the pix aren't great quality - I guess hair would look even thicker when dry)

Thanks digi23, yes have been told to get more aggressive with the hair-washing massage but not actually to remove the scabs individually on Day 10

Hi Guys, On Day 8 of a 4500 graft FUT (see attached pic). Been washing twice a day and stand under the shower for 10 minutes each time with a gentle pressure from the shower head. I then massge the shampoo quite robustly into the calp for a few minutes. Still these scabs are hanging around. Are they a danger to the grafts if they stay for much longer? Thanks 🤞

Thank you guys for the replies...you've given me hope!

Hi Guys Just had a FUT, 4500 grafts at a reputable clinic which I sourced on this great site. After my first day's operation (2500 on Day 1), I was groggy in the taxi back to the hotel and chatting to my friendly driver. As I got out, I bumped my front right on the underside of the door....HOrror! There was padding on the underside of the door, and also gauze and a bandana on my head but I did feel a gentle bump. Two hours after it, I took the attached pic. Rang the clinic and they got me to come back to check for displaced grafts. Only one came out - towards the back, bizarrely. The doc also said there was no bruising which was a good sign, though the site looks more livid there. Can't stop worrying that I did some really significant damage to that front right section and that I'll have an uneven bald patch there...sighs. Also attached a pic from today - Day 7. Have I gone and ruined the FUT with a single moment of absent-mindedness? I now wish I'd been grumpy in the taxi and this wouldn't have happened... Thanks! DoH

Thanks, digi23...

Bless you, digi23 and Melvin...:) Good to know, especially since I forgot to mention that I've been drinking nearly 3 litres of water per day since Day 1! Including swigging at intervals at night.

Hey Folks, Finally took the plunge and had an FUT done, 4500 grafts. Am in my early 50s. On Day 4 now. So the scalp is a bit of a sight due to scabbing and the blue dye but doesn't look out of the ordinary and is not infected. A nice job done by a reputable surgeon. However I took a long flight home on Day 2 and fell asleep for 11 hours when I got home. I hadn't hydrated my hair with saline or hair wash until the next morning (Day 3). What damage might I have done to the grafts in those 24 hours? Am really worried reading some other posts that the follicles need hydration those first two / three days... Thanks, DoH

Thanks Melvin.. The pic was a bit dark but I'll take your word for it Are you saying the scar is barely visible nearer his ear, where it's above his ear? Do FUT scars strecth all the way above the ear at the side?

Hi Folks! Been weighing up FUT v FUE. Seems FUE is less scarring but is slightly less efficient in terms of amount of hairs harvested. But you get the scar with FUT. Assuming you get a good surgeon to do FUT, am wondering - if remaining hair drops out later on and I want a short haircut - if the FUT scar will be visible with a shorter (eg grade 3) haircut? In other words - is even an average FUT scar preventing ever having short hair again without showing the scar? Thanks

Thanks Tommy, Good advice. Am leaning towards FUT, and Hattingen now..have contacted them online

Thanks a lot all for the helpful input..so I guess looking further afield may be a good idea, although must say Farjo was looking good up until that point for me, may still choose him.