NC30

I had a 1500 graft HT with Dr. Cooley last year. I am happy with my results and would and have recommended him to others. As far as price goes, when I went last year, it was $5 a graft up to the first 1000, and the $4 per graft afterwards.

vanguy social drinker's on the right track. you definitely don't want to shop for bargains when it comes to an HT. As it is, the better quality HT doctors more often than not offer prices which are extremely competitive. You would run a high risk of a lousy HT by taking a chance with a bargain surgeon, and like social drinker said....the depression caused by a butchered HT can be far far worse than just depression over baldness. I decided that I was going to have an HT at a point in time where I wasn't making the greatest money. I immersed myself in work, worked extra jobs on the side, overtime when I could get it. I spent so much time saving money and working that I really didn't have much time at all for feeling bad about baldness or even time to go out in public where the feeling bad would eventually go up a notch. My focus turned from being depressed about my hairloss to excitement about having a goal of a future procedure. It may be a year of your life where you just work your ass off, but it could definitely be well worth it.

Big1... You state..."Thank god you're not a doctor. How do you "know" that a procedure will be regrettable. It may be exactly what the patient needs. " Are you saying that a doctor couldn't possibly predict that any procedure is regrettable? So let's say a patient comes in at 18, every man in his family was an NW7 by the age of 25, he's already got diffuse thinning throughout, etc....and the guy wants to restore his temples completely to where he was a few years ago using as many grafts as possible. Are you saying that a doctor can't look at the kid and figure that such a procedure would be a horrible decision for him? That 15 years down the road this kid is probably going to look absolutely hideous with some thick filled in temples and nowhere near enough donor hair left to cover the rest of his bald head? According to your statement, you're telling me that the patient knows best and the doctor is just there to give me my surgery the way I want it. Thank god you're not a doctor because with that kind of mentality I'm sure any hair mill would have another doctor willing to be part of their staff.

Bob C....I'm not sure which post your quote about Dr A and Dr B is directed towards, so I'll clarify one thing about my post. I'm not saying that closing temples should never be done in any situation. I'm sure there are a number of circumstances where that would be an acceptable procedure.

I guess everyone's definitions of what is and isn't ethical is different. I, for one, would never want to go to a doctor who would perform any procedure for an "informed patient" as long as they were getting paid. A doctor with a sense of responsibility towards his patients is exactly what I'd want. I'm sure Michael Jackson was informed or aware what his risks were at different points in surgical history....but hey...if you think that what he ended up with is "ok" and his doctors aren't unethical as long as he knew what he was getting into, then I guess that's ok in your terms. I think the doctor does have a responsibility to not perform any procedure, which in the long run, would most likely be a poor decision. Especially in the realm of cosmetic surgery, you're dealing with people who are already disappointed with their features and often traumatized mentally by it. Some of it may be legit, and some of it may be just that the person isn't mentally capable of dealing with the issue. Some people, even though adults, are so narrowly focused on the present that all thoughts of the future never even cross their mind....or are just so obsessed with having a procedure that they've gone beyond the point of ever actually being capable of being "informed". To perform a procedure which you know down the road will be most likely a regrettable surgery on someone as long as they're "informed" and their check doesn't bounce.....well....to me that's unethical.

I think I'd be more concerned about the lifting you have to do than the sweat and the debris. Have you asked your HT doc about that kind of work afterwards? You don't want your scar stretching because you didn't wait long enough before you started doing physical work.

djtrojanz..... ahh ok....well...it only took 4 or 5 posts before I'd realized I'd missed what DrFuzzy said originally. I didn't realize I'd misread the part about it being part of the first HT and using the "leftovers". My apologies to all. I still dont think I'd like that idea. I would think (and hope) that FUE/FIT would continue to become more efficient and economical in the few years to come. To take the chance of those grafts being potentially unusable down the road is just too much of a risk, and to take more skin/hair than necessary at that moment would just be unacceptable to me. ok....I'll shut up after this and let the topic develop from here.

Brando....Dr. Cooley did a 1500 graft strip HT on me.

Hugh...I assumed he couldn't be talking about taking a strip from an area in the back already resistant......what would be the point of that? I've already my potential hair grafts in their storage area called "backsideinus nogginus" (the back of my head). I can see storing blood or sperm or whatever for future use...no big deal as those arent invasive procedures. But having someone cut a strip of hair from the back when it is already perfectly stored would expose you to the risk of any surgery/recovery complications or as you pointed out them getting freezer burn or being unusable later. I think the only way I could ever agree of this procedure if the hairs were grafted (FUE method) from a non-traditional harvest area and the hairs would change their "programming" of falling out. Havhairnow makes a good point about unnecessarily harvesting hairs that you potentially may never need....but I think some people can be pretty sure (like I was) that I'd be bald (to a good degree of NW) someday. just my opinion

Well.....assuming that you're talking about harvesting hairs from areas that will eventually go bald (because we would have no reason to harvest from areas that wont lose hair), then wouldn't those hairs be "programmed" already to be hairs that fall out in the future? so they would be transplanted, but you'd lose them a few years down the road anyway? just a thought

This is just me, but.....take a bath instead of a shower (still wearing a shower cap). Sleeping wasnt any problem. My doc gave me something to help with pain/sleep. I used it the first nite even though I didn't think I needed it (I just wanted to make sure I slept very comfortably all night). After that, the pills just sat in a cabinet.

It's been over a year since my strip HT. The numbness is gone and has been gone for awhile. There was never really any discomfort in that area, it was just an unusual feeling. It was very similar to when I had knee surgery years ago....if I kneeled down or crawled around to look for something on the floor, there was a numbness which was just kind of odd. Actually, if I remember correctly, that numbness was around for years before it finally returned to normal.

Go to walmart and buy a tiny spray bottle. I stayed at home post-op and just kept a towel hung around my neck. I used the bottle to spray my recipient area and keep it moist. He gave me a bottle of something to help with the itching. I would just spray the water onto my head and let it run down, and that helped out a LOT on the itching (so much so that I never bothered even using the stuff for itching). Rugger was right....your doctor should have given you some type of post-op instructions. I remember that showers were a no-no for at least 4 days after surgery (if not a week, but I cant recall the exact time frame). I should clarify...it was the direct stream of water that you should avoid, not the shower itself. As far as washing goes, I just filled the tub with lukewarm water and poured some baby shampoo in there. I swished my head in the tub to help wash the area without actually touching the scalp. It worked very well for me.

Thanks for the info and response.....I appreciate it.

Maybe I'm not used to the new design of the forum (which I like), and maybe this question has been addressed before but... Are we no longer able to search the forum for posts regarding certain topics or posters? A friend of mine who is considering an HT has been asking questions about certain issues. I've tried to search by keyword in past posts for answers (using the search option), but I'm not able to get any results except in very recent posts. Pat? Is this just the new design or an error that needs to be corrected? I hate having to sift through all the old posts page by page until I find exactly what I'm looking for.

Maybe I'm not used to the new design of the forum (which I like), and maybe this question has been addressed before but... Are we no longer able to search the forum for posts regarding certain topics or posters? A friend of mine who is considering an HT has been asking questions about certain issues. I've tried to search by keyword in past posts for answers (using the search option), but I'm not able to get any results except in very recent posts. Pat? Is this just the new design or an error that needs to be corrected? I hate having to sift through all the old posts page by page until I find exactly what I'm looking for.

Brando....I think what they're saying is that you should be avoiding the sun post-op, although I'm not sure to what extent....I couldnt comment on the exact amount of time. I tanned prior to surgery (not the day of, just enough to get some good color in my skin, and if I recall, not within 1 or 2 weeks of the surgery). I tanned just in case I did experience redness. I wanted any possible redness to be disguised by the extra color in my skin. You should be fine to be exposed to the sun and saltwater after a certain amount of time (I'd definitely consult your HT doc for a recommended time). It's hard for me to believe that going into the ocean directly after surgery is beneficial for your hair growth. With all the pollutants/toxins in the water, it would seem that there'd be a much greater chance for harm. I have nothing to back this up medically or scientifically, but I'm pretty sure a floating condom and people's urine aren't going to be on any recommended list anytime soon.

I love the pop-up reply window. Like rooster said, you can go back reflect on what you've written, make sure you've not quoted anyone incorrectly or mixed up what they've meant. In the past, I've always had to open up 2 of the same forum pages...one to reply on and one to make sure I've not made errors. I dont really care whether I've been or not been notified of any upcoming changes (other than if Pat were going to close the site completely). It's his site, he can do what he wants.

So are we saying that we'd prefer the techs to do the placement of the grafts all by themselves? Where would the doctor be at this point in time? Should I be ok with him being able to be free so a 2nd HT can be juggled at the same time? Also, do we have a problem with the doctor placing any of the grafts himself? I'll will concede that qualified and skilled surgical techs are not only beneficial but essential to a good HT office...especially in the field of strip HT's. I have no problem with the dissection of the strip/grafts being solely done by the techs in the same room with the surgeon being available to supervise. I have no problem with techs doing part and even the majority of the insertion of grafts. The surgeon has done a great deal already, fatigue mentally and physically eventually starts to take affect, and that's why I'm ok with skilled techs to help handle the workload....so that the overall quality of the HT doesn't suffer. I don't even have a problem with the doctor leaving the room on occasion to take care of some small business details, take a break, etc. I understand how having techs helps to keep costs down....I never once said that I would completely eliminate techs. I do have a problem with how they described the doctor leaving the room and techs not having the proper supervision/ability to finish the work. I do have a problem (and this is my personal preference), with the doctor not placing any of the grafts, or being, more or less, completely absent from the entire placement phase. I think having the doctor place my grafts is a personal touch that I'm willing to pay for. I don't have to be in a "perfect world" to expect a doctor to participate in that phase, nor is it unrealistic for me to believe that more than one doctor participates in this phase of the surgery.

I disagree completely.....I think the doctor should definitely be a part of placing the grafts. Would I want him placing all the grafts? No, I'm sure fatigue plays a part of the surgery, and the doctor has already done a lot of the work. Skilled technicians definitely play a part in a successful HT, and I'd want them helping out in that long portion of the surgery. I do, however, think that the doctor should be there placing as well. I'm paying thousands of dollars, and I'd expect that level of service. My doctor did his share of placing the grafts in my 1500 graft strip HT, so that's one doctor. I'm sure there are many more.

It's no bigger or smaller than a regular family practice doctor's office. There's nothing really to watch out for. I think the only thing I'd recommend is to actually have all your questions written down. I remember not being able to think of one or two at the last minute, and wish I'd been slightly more prepared.

Brando.....have you tried propecia yet? Dr. Cooley didnt "require" me to start taking propecia, but he highly recommended it as well as gave me a prescription. Don't write off propecia if you haven't tried it yet. Some guys experience side effects, but I've never had a single one. I think many would agree that Propecia is the definite first step towards treating hair loss, far before any HT.

Well....congratulations on beating the cancer. Like you said, that's the most important thing. This is definitely a question for the doctors it would seem. This is just me, and I would have NO idea whether it would be successful or not, but I would probably approach doctors who perform FUE/FIT. Even if a doctor told me that a strip HT would work, I'd not want to take a chance of taking a strip of hair from the back of my head to place into a spot where it may not work whatsoever. I would think that at least some doctor would welcome the opportunity to perform this procedure as a chance to perform an HT in a situation which they've never done. I hate to even say this, because I'd hate to get your hopes up, but, some doctors even perform HT's for free in certain situations. Good luck and definitely let us know what you decide to do, what doctors tell you in your consultations, etc.

Lebowski....congratulations on your recent HT. Your visit sounded a lot like mine. They were meticulous and detailed, they stayed after business hours to finish me, but there was just never a rushed or tense feel to it....it was completely laid back. Keep us updated and good luck.

I disagree with the "you get what you pay for" references in regards to HT. There have been many guys who have been gotten horrible HT's and paid much much more than what they would have paid for a reputable, quality surgeon. To me, a great HT would be worth the costly price, but fortunately in the world of HT, you can get some great docs at the most competitive prices.