Danyb

Thanks since21, I appreciate your support.

Hi Home1212, thanks for your message. I have been increasingly disappointed over the years with ht's and wished for many times I had never done it. I really hope this procedure will finally make me see otherwise. Dr. Erdogan was fantastic and gave me hope. Let's wish for the best. I will keep posting my development.

Thanks man!

Thanks Ko! Check my updates pictures of before and right after surgery. Thanks for your support

After surgery / micro pigmentation

Before surgery - shaved

Before surgery with Dr. Erdogan, dry hair

Hi David, end up having surgery with Dr. Erdogan in Turkey and he was able to harvest 4000 grafts. I had micro pigmentation in the scar. I am detailing my story in a new thread

Hi hairweare, I created I new thread with the recent pictures of my surgery with Dr. Erdogan in Turkey. In case you are interested, here is the link: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/176904-my-4000-grafts-repair-dr-erdogan-%96-september-29th-30th.html

Hi Spanker, just had surgery with Dr. Koray Erdogan in Istanbul. Thought you would be interested in checking my thread. He ended up not using the grafts that were underneath the hairline previously designed by Dr. Feller. He said I would get the scar from the punch and they were not that many. http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/176904-my-4000-grafts-repair-dr-erdogan-%96-september-29th-30th.html

This morning I went back to Asmed for the hair wash and some scab removal from the drying blood and PRP. I also went back to the clinic in the afternoon to have the micropigmentation in the scar. Delek performed it after applying a little anestesia. It was a little painful but not to bad compared to the benefit of it. I also got the graft count: 4007 grafts in 2 days Single: 803 / Double: 1946 / Triple: 1091 / Multiple: 167 General average per graft: 2.15 Here is a picture of my scar after the micropigmentation. Should post the clinic pictures tomorrow.

Thanks Denny, hope to see you soon!

Thanks for your support David, I will keep posting my evolution.

Just got back from my second day at Asmed and everything went as planned: Tuesday, 30th September - 2nd day 7:45 am - Driver picked me up right on time at the hotel. 8 am - Shave right side (donor) and wash the hair, including the first transplanted area 8:30 am – Oral anestesia given by Dr.Umut 8:45 am – I am taken to the surgery room 9 am – Local anestesia is aplied and surgery starts with graft removal from the right side of my head - foot massage is offered 10 am - Blood is taken to make the PRP 11:15 am – Grafting finishes and had a 5 minute break 11:20 pm – Dr. Koray makes the incisions, which took about 30-40 minutes 12 pm- Lunch break 12:45 pm- Implantation in the crown begins by techs (2000 grafts) 3:30 pm – Surgery ends 3:45 pm – Aplication of laser over the area to help healing process. 4 pm - Driver takes me back to the hotel. I was overall very well impressed with my experience, especially with Dr. Koray professionalism and attitude. He was always smiling and is very friendly. The staff was also incredible and very focused. I will soon post the graft breakdown and the clinic pictures. Now let's hope for a rapid recovery and good growing. Had no swelling whatsoever after surgery, which was great news.

Hi everyone, I just underwent my first out of a two day surgery with Dr. Koray Erdogan in Istanbul and wanted to share my story. First, I wanted to thank Denny (Dr. Ergonan's online representative) for being so optimistic and supportive during the process of choosing the doctor. I’ve been researching for four years and saw a few excellent docs before reaching my decision and Denny was always honest and truly looked for my best interest. It was a tough choice as I underwent 3 FUT procedures previously, with poor results and this was my last shot to fix my situation. My repair journey I am 37 years old and had my first 2 FUT surgeries back in 2006 and 2008 with a brazilian "butcher doc" called Miguel Sorrentino that left me with an unknown number of micrografts and this terrible scar. I've been on and off propecia, but now I am back on. I had my third FUT procedure with Dr. Feller, trying to fix the mess, addressing the frontal/mid scalp with 2500 grafts, but that did not quite solve my problem. Since then I went to live consultations with Rahal, Bisanga and Lorenzo and emailed Dr. Erdogan and Dr. Umar. Every doc made a different evaluation and only Lorenzo and Dr. Erdogan gave me hope saying my donor could potentially have 3000 grafts. Umar said I needed about 4500 derived from different parts of my body and Bisanga was more pessimistic and said I had 1000 and he could do some beard and chest grafts (600) as test into the scar/crown. Choosing the doctor I chose Dr. Koray for his extensive documented work, patient pictures and reputation. I also met Denny in person who shared his experience and showed me his recent procedure. Back in July I made the final arrangements to have surgery performed on September 29 and 30. He had estimated 3000# based on my pictures. Asmed, Dr. Koray, staff and pre op I arrived in Istanbul last Thursday (25th) as I had to be in town for his in person consultation last Friday, the 26th of September. I went to the clinic and was very much welcomed by the staff. Sevinj, Dr. Koray assistant whom with I've been communicating was there to greet me. I was very impressed with the clinic itself. It's a brad new, state of the art facility, very clean and organized. I spent some time at the waiting room until I was taken downstairs for pictures and documentation. Then I was taken to another room to have a blood test and my blood pressure verified. A bit after I went for a consultation with Dr. Koray. He had then the first chance to examine me. Went through a few standard procedures; he asked a few questions, heard my previous ht's stories, filled up a form to check my health condition. He then surprisingly said what was really good news to me. He said I still had the possibility of extracting 4000 grafts via FUE. My hair caliber was varying a little, but I don't remember how many microns it had. He made some calculations in order to check the area that needed to be covered. I was taken downstairs to shave and wash my head so they could have a better idea of my donor and scar. Dr. Koray then asked me my expectations and I expressed my trust in his experience based on what he thought would be more appropriate in my case. He then draw my hairline, and estimated 1200 grafts for the frontal/mid scalp and 2800 to covered my crown and hide the plugs. Some more pictures were taken at the photo room. I left the clinic and spent the weekend sightseeing Istanbul in a very rainy and cold weekend, but had a great time. Surgery – Monday, 29th September - 1 st day 7:45 am - Driver picked me up right on time at the Radisson Blu hotel, 10 minutes away. 7:55am – Sevinj and as well as Emilio, the translator welcomed me at the door 8 am - Shave and wash the hair 8:15 am – Light breakfast 8:30 am – Back massage and oral anestesia given by Dr.Umut 8:45 am – Another doctor, takes me to a separate room to draw the donor area in my scalp 9 am – I am taken to the surgery room and Dilek arrives 9:15am – Local anestesia is aplied and surgery starts with graft removal from the left side of my head - foot massage is offered 11:45am – Grafting finishes 12pm – I had lunch and another anestesia is administrated. 12:30pm- Dr. Koray makes the incisions, which might have taken about 30-40 minutes, bt I am not sure as I was awake, but under the anestesia. 1pm- Implantation begins by techs 3pm – Surgery ends – Had a fresh orange juice and Emilio gave me an anti-inflammatory, pain killers and some kind of spray. 3:10pm – Aplication of laser over the area to help healing process. 3:15pm - Driver takes me back to the hotel. Dilek was amazing and said she was slower then the usual, as my case was delicate. Didn't seem slow to me, but apparently she can extract 21 grafts per minute. Everyone in surgery room was great and things went smooth. I chatted a lot with Emilio who is the spanish translator and Dr. Umut. The anestesia injections were a little bit painful, but the rest of the procedure went pretty well, with some more sensitive areas than others. I chose not to ask more anestesia as the little pain was bearable. Dr. Koray came in the operation room and said that my average density was good, around 2.3 and that the quality of my grafts was excellent. Now I am off to bed as I have to be up at 7 am again. I have PRP treatment scheduled after the second day and micropigmantation on the scar on Wednesday. Will post more pictures soon and when I get them from the clinic. Ready for day 2, and for a new chapter in my life. Dr. Koray gave me hope and I am very happy for that. Looking forward for my final result. PS: Some pre op pictures taken by me last Friday after shaving and today post op

Wow. Very impressive!

Hi Sean, thanks for your advice. Are you familiar with Dr. Koray Erdogan based in Turkey? I've been researching his work for a while and it seems that he has a fair amount of documented videos and photos online and seems to be very professional.

Thanks again for your support, Garageland. I will definitely keep you posted. I think your suggestion is great and I will keep that in mind for sure. At this point I think I should probably listen to what the surgeon I choose has to say. I know that I have things that bother me, but unfortunately I can't choose perfection and have too many preferences at this situation. So I will have to trust the doctor on his best judgement to get to a more natural state, keeping in mind my limitation and future goals. I see 3000 grafts going a long way in the hands of skilled FUE doctors. In the back of my mind, I still struggle with the idea that maybe Umar would be my last hope. He can give you a real density improvement with beard and body hair, combined with scalp hair. But I can't continue to visit every doc as this gets me more confused. An aesthetically I think doctor Erdogan is a step above than Umar, so I will probably wait before going to my last resource,and get BHT involved. I will have to see where I would be after this next procedure to consider my next moves. Hopefully I will be in a better place.

Spanker, I think it was about 1 inch lower that a reasonable hairline should have been. In my case, because of the large area to address, I think If I had started with a good doc, he would have designed and higher and more conservative hairline considering my future loss. Dr. Tykocinski wanted to punch them out. Dr. Epstein and Dr. James Vogel wanted to do an eye brown lift and recycle the hairs from the extracted tissue. I think Rahal said he would try to remove them too. Dr. Feller said that the yield from those grafts would be low and because of scarring from the FUE it was not worth it. More recently Lorenzo said he could FUE them too. Here are some pictures prior to my repair surgery with Dr. Feller. The picture with the marked lines was taken by Dr. Feller to set the area for the laser hair removal.

Hi Garageland, thanks for your message. I did see your case a few years ago and recognized some similarities with mine. I got inspired by your result and back then I was considering a visit to Hasson and Wong, but did not get a chace to do so. Should I've know them before my HT's, they would have been my first choice. You are absolutely right. I should probably focus on one goal at this point. It's becoming clear to me that I can't address everything in one go and the doctor I choose will have to help me on that decision based on his experience and skill. I want someone to help me organize the mess that has been done. There is just too much going on: 1) Balding crown with plugs 2) Low density and not very natural look on the front and mid scalp 3) Large scar and hairline that limits my style options. 4) Hairs growing back underneath my hairline, from previous hts. The scar bothers me of course, but if I have to prioritize things, maybe I would leave it for later. It limits my style options as you know, I have to keep the hair longer in the back to cover it, than my hair gets too large on the sides and the transplanted hair becomes more apparent as there is a disparity in density compared to my untouched areas. I am kind of locked in this situation, a hostage of it, if you will. The contradictory situation is the following: the longer the hair, in theory, the better optical illusion of density you get. In my case, I would rather use my hair shorter, but at this point I can't, because I feel like I am not benefiting from that optical illusion, and my scalp gets more evident. I like to comb my hair forward and I realize that makes things harder. I am just used to wear my hair loose and can't think of any other hair style. I have a thick and somehow curly hair, you are right. I also have some good beard density, so that can be valuable to fill the crown in the future as an alternative. I've attached some more pictures. On the previous pictures I posted, picture 4 was the more recent. Picture 6 was before dr. Feller and picture 8 was taken with a flash back in 2011. Seems like I've been loosing a significant amount of hair from my crown. I am back on finasteride now. Thanks a lot for taking the time to help me. I appreciate it.

Hi Hairweare, thanks a lot for taking the time to read my post and share your story. I truly hope you can achieve your desired outcome. You are in excellent hands. Dr. Lorenzo is an amazing doctor. I knew that posting on this forum was in a way taking the risk of getting even more confused about my case. I am glad I did it though, as I can get to know someone like you, that found the courage to keep on and to share your story and make others like me more optimistic. I always think of Dr. Umar as a last resource and maybe I don't want to think that my situation is as bad as the examples we sometimes see published online. It's hard for me to say, as many people will tell me it's ok, it's doesn't look that bad, etc. I actually don't really know myself how a hair transplant should look and feel like, because I am constantly reminded of a ht failure when I look in the mirror. The good ht's are unnoticeable by amateurs and professional alike. I also think I might have had more that 500 grafts extracted at this point. I had 3 fut's, and only one had a graft count (dr. Feller - 2500), so the other 2500/3000 should have been extracted from that area where my wide scar is. Survival rate was probably low and micro grafts were spaced out, hair line too low, that made me loose hundreds of grafts in a one inch band underneath my current hairline. So I am leaning towards a good cosmetic improvement at first, a doc that could address my issues at this point. In the future who knows, I might pay a visit to Dr. Umar. Though I would like Lorenzo to be that person, his prices in Manchester are way to high for me and I am considering Dr. Erdogan in Turkey, as I've been seeing really good results from him and he performs exclusively FUE. He seems to have a good cost benefit ratio, and suggested 3000 grafts done in 2 days. I haven't seen him in person, and will have to fly to Turkey to do so, but heard good things about him. I truly hope to make a wise decision as although I know there are worse things in life then a bad hair transplant, only we know the psychological toll it may take upon us.

Thanks for you comments, Spanker. I am 37 years old, taking finasteride 1 mg. I stopped using it for years and just got back about 1 month ago. I've been seeing very good results from doctors in Turkey, even using body hair, so I wonder if I should have Dr. Umar as a last resource, or should consider him a good option immediately. I am just tired of not really getting to a good place. Seems like yesterday, but it's been almost 8 years now for me, and only we know how damaging this can be to us.

Thanks Wylie, I take you have a long experience with the subject. Glad to see you had so much improvement with Dr. Umar. It's good to know he can extract that much beard grafts, I had no idea it could get to 5k and it looks really natural. Instead of having surgery with every doctor I have consulted with, I would rather choose someone that could solve my problem, even if it takes more than one shot. I just want someone who can make a plan and that knows for sure what he is doing to get to the goal. Bisanga seemed more conservative and said I had perhaps 1000 scalp grafts via FUE. Lorenzo said eventually 3000 in 2 surgeries. I agree with you that beard hair is a valuable resource and I would like to use it. Just need to find the right surgeon. I saw good results from Dr. Doganay from Turkey. He uses beard and body hair as well. But, if I should use body hair, why not go directly to Dr. Umar, that has more experience than most of the other docs? I will send and email to Dr. Umar and see if he can analyze my case by email. Thanks a lot.

Hey hs, thanks for your message. I am not letting cost and location be the deciding factor. It's very hard to make a decision, having so many different opinions from the docs. Lorenzo would have been my first choice, but he suggested 2 surgeries. I would rather try to have it done at once, as Erdogan suggested, exactly because of what you said. I've been through a lot, and just don't want to think of my hair all the time. Bisanga was perhaps, less optimistic, or call it realistic. I would rather have someone that could solve my problem in less surgeries. Aftermath, Hasson and Wong was always on my list, but I never had a chance to meet them in Vancouver. I always dreamt of having a head full of hair like their showcases. Unfortunately, I don't think I am eligible anymore for that kind of result. I would also prefer to do FUE at this point. Since21, thanks for suggesting Dr. Konior. He has amazing results indeed. Being a plastic surgeon could possibly help me. But as I mentioned before, I met Dr. james Vogel a few years back and even Dr. Feller, and none of them encouraged me to have my scar revised. Perhaps for the lack of laxity, so that the revised scar could expand back. Mickey, I would consider FUE into the scar, probably with beard hair or body. Bisanga suggested that as a test. Dr. Doganay in Turkey also suggested beard extractions. Dr. Erdogan suggested micro pigmentation on the scar for now. If I shave my head to extract 3000 grafts to address the crown, my scar would be exposed. Dr Konior apparently does more FUT than FUE, but seems to be a great doc. Very hard decision. Thanks for your support.

Hi everyone and thanks for taking the time to read my story. Your opinions will be most appreciated and hopefully will guide me to my final decision on how to proceed in regards to my repair. Though this is my first thread, I've been reading the forum and learning from the community for the past 5 years. Unfortunately I found out about the HTN after I had 2 micrografts FUT surgeries here in Brazil with an unknown number of grafts. In 2008 I visited Dr. Arthur Tykocinski and his consultation was eye openning to the damage that has been done by a "butcher doc" called Miguel Sorrentino in 2006 and 2008. Dr. Tykocinski mentioned the HTN and encouraged me to research and educate myself. Little did I know about what was laying ahead for me. In 2009, when in the States, I had a chance to visit some coalition recommended doctors, including Feller, True and Dorin, James Vogel and a former recommended doc called Epstein from Florida. I heard different opinions about my case, and the different approaches on how to address the repair. The latest doc even recommended an eye brown lift, which really scared me at the time. After checking on several results and meeting the doctor in person, I felt confident that Feller was a safe choice. Upon my return to NY in 2010, I had my third FUT procedure with Dr. Feller, adressing the frontal/mid scalp with 2500 grafts (pictures attached). My repair case was particularly difficult because: 1) I had a hairline placed too low, with several micrografts containing 3 to 4 hairs. Dr. Feller recommended lasering the hairs out, which I did. But they kept growing back and now I consider having some removed via FUE on my next procedure. 2) I was left with a big scar on the donor, about 1/2 inch wide by 3 inches long. Dr. Feller did not touch it, and removed the grafts from the side of my scalp. 3) Micrografts were spread out all over my balding areas, including the crown and midscalp and they became more evident as I continue to loose hair. 4) I have a hard time to style my hair as I don't have much density and my hair line isn't perfect. Also, hairs were placed with no attention to proper angle. Dr Feller's procedure was well done, but did not solve my problem in one shot. I understand it was a first step towards the solution, possibly adequate at the time. But the HT keeps haunting me and I am reminded of it every moment when I look at the mirror. Maybe my expectations were too high for the time, given my poor start. I feel now it's the time to seek for a broader solution, a long term formula. I returned to him a couple of times to seek advice, and he was always reminding me from where I have started in a positive way. He suggested another FUT procedure consisting of 2000 grafts to adress the crown. And even trusting and respecting him very much, I decided to wait and see other options before moving forward. On my ressearch to find the most suitable doc to give me a natural appearance, I have been to a few clinics, all recommended here, including Dr. Rahal in Ottawa, 3 years ago, who also suggested 2000#. About a year and a half ago I wet to Dr. Bisanga in Belgium and he suggested 1000 FUE in the crown / Beard into the scar – 600 grafts and Test of 200 chest grafts in the crown. Said my density was not great in the scalp and I should be aware and realistic with expectations. Last year I visited Dr. Lorenzo in Manchester and he was more optimistic. I must say Lorenzo is amazing, very confident, not only a great doctor but a great human being. He said altough my case was not easy, I still had some good donor density and suggested 1500 grafts FUE on a first moment and eventually 1500 more, on a second pass in the crown, as I would need that for coverage as it is a very large area. Perhaps some beard on the scar to test, but I don’t think BHT is his speciallty. To add to my doubts, I've been seeing excelent results from Dr. Hakan Doganay and Dr. Koran Erdogan, both from Turkey. About two weeks ago I met Denison (Dr. Erdogan's HTN representative) in person in Rio de Janeiro, and saw Dr. Erdogan's great work live, as he himself is a recent patient. I felt very confident in his work and he suggested via online consultation a possible 3000 graft repair, done in a 2 days procedure. Last, but not least, I have good beard density and extremely good chest hair with 2/3 hairs per follicule. I saw some really inspiring work from Dr. Umar and would consider him, should my case require a larger ammount of grafts to get my solution in a one deal package, if that even exists. Every single doc has a different opinion in how to proceed, which makes me a bit confused and uncertain. Although trusting Denison opinion and experience with Dr. Erdogan and leaning towards him, I would like to share and hear your remarks before coming to a decision, which should happen very soon. This might be my last shot and I can't afford to waste it especially for the sake of my own psycological sanity. I am aware all those surgeons are great, but my doubt is not which one is the best, but rather who would be more suitable to solve my problem at my current condition. I would really appreciate your feedback. Many thanks and regard to everyone, Daniel