Topcat611

The link to my photos has been updated to show the 4 week mark. http://tinyurl.com/y8m256z

I am a veteran of the punch graft methods used in the early 80's, approximately 7 strips, 2 hairlifts, 1 scalp reduction, and most recenlty fue work to try and repair this mess. I didn't get feeling to the back of my head from strip for about 10 years. It was always uncomfortable and tight. I have had absolutely zero pain or discomfort with the fue procedure I had with Dr. Bisanga. Keep in mind I had 200 fue taken from my face, and I actually was able to go out for dinner the next day. It's coming up on 3 weeks and all the hairs are still growing, including the beard and bodyhair. So in my opinion the pain factor depends on the procedure.

Cori, having someone perform surgery on your head is no different then having surgery done on your face. It's what people are looking at when they speak to you. There is absolutely no room for error and the decision should never be made casually. Don't ever let distance be a determining factor in your final decision. Personally I had to fly to Brussels from Chicago to have my repair started with BHR. In my younger days I would never have traveled so far, but now I know better and hopefully I am a little wiser. Even if you decide to stay within the USA, it is for your benefit that you choose the best surgeon possible regardless of location.

Dr. Bisanga, BHR in Brussels.

You do not necessarily have to travel overseas. But if you are limited to just the Chicago area, my advice would be to wait. You need to learn much more then you already know. Best of luck to you.

I am also from Chicago. Do not let distance be a hurdle. My particular situation called for in my opinion the absolute best fue clinic in the world. The clinic also needed to be both ethical and honest. It took me 10 years of searching in order to find that place. So take your time. My choice was BHR in Brussels, Belgium. You can read more in the follow my major repair thread. I am always open to both e-mail and phone conversations if you need any help. The only compensation I receive is the satisfaction of knowing I have helped someone avoid the same mistakes I have made. My first hair transplant was about 25 years ago and I have been watching this industry very closely.

I still have some in the hairline, but I believe there was so much transectioning happening from doctors that just didn't know what they were doing. They were going into the hairline trying to soften it up, meanwhile they were destroying the surrounding area. A tremendous amount of donor hair was wasted. Maybe the janitor that placed my grafts at one clinic, wasn't as good as the doctor thought. We are conditioned to believe a doctor knows what he is doing. Well it's just like any other business, there are good mechanics and there are bad mechanics. I'm sure we all have been taken advantage of by someone in our life that really didn't know what they were doing. All one has to do is look at other surgical procedures. You really don't know how good the doctor is, they all claim they are the best. Who actually investigates something like heart surgery when they go in to have it done. Where would you even look. The patients certainly don't post to a forum and tell you how great there experience was. If you die on the table is always attributable to the patient and not the doctor. That's reality and people think that it can't happen to them. It happens everyday. I have had friends that died going in for simple surgical procedures and it's no big deal for either the doctor or the hospital. So I guess I can consider myself lucky that I know a little more about how the system works. The average person rarely seeks a second opinion when they are diagnosed by a doctor. Even when they do, other doctors rarely go against another's opinion. There is just too much liability. Well doctors are guessing half the time, and surgical procedures are performed everyday that are not needed. Welcome to capitalism.

Here is the link to my pre op and post op photos. http://s156.photobucket.com/al...%20Topcat/?start=all

My experience at the BHR clinic in Brussels was more then I could have ever hoped it would be. The clinic is both honest and open and lays the truth right on the table for all to see. Sometimes the truth might not be what we want to hear, but it is the truth. The fact is you need the truth in order to make an educated and informed decision. I have been hoping to have some type of repair work done for the last 10 years, but I have been frozen with fear in what I have seen over this time. Some will assume I am biased, after all this was a pro bono offer that I received from BHR. In all honesty if I were given this same offer by some of the other clinics I have consulted with, I would have had to decline. I have just seen too many red flags to ever feel comfortable. I simply could not afford to make a mistake and be wrong. I needed only the absolute best clinic and doctor in the world to perform this work. I could not let distance be a roadblock. In all sincerity I could not give false praise and cause another human to go through what I and other victims have gone through. I have personally spoken to many of the repair patients we have all seen. To this day they are still portrayed as success cases. Many of them in reality are very disappointed in both their results and the treatment they received. They hide in the shadows and are afraid to reveal the truth for too many reasons that others here would have a hard time understanding. Being repeatedly taken advantage of and being victimized is only something another victim can truly understand. It gives one a sense of shame that they carry around for a lifetime. Over the years I have seen hideous body scarring, doctors with God like attitudes, clinics knowingly using deceptive advertising where their showcase results actually failed in the long run, clinics with little to no fue experience, hairlines meant for a 12 year old boy with little regard for future needs, forums that deleted threads that didn't suit their bottom line, doctors that cancelled consultations at the drop of the hat with little regard for the prospective patient and clinics that actually used pictures of results that were not their own. These are not things I saw 25 years ago when I got butchered, but they are going on today as I write. To believe that people are not still being victimized is na??ve, but I can also understand how easy it is to be deceived. Dealing with hair loss can be both uncomfortable and embarrassing. Being disfigured by a bad hair transplant can be 100 times worse. The clinics and forums have a moral and ethical obligation not to mislead. But unfortunately when there are substantial amounts of money involved, greed rears it's ugly head. One only needs to look at the news headlines the last few years. It goes on in almost every industry, including the practice of medicine. It very easy to take advantage of someone who has hope, it's the easy road. Couple that with the highest risk takers out there, males in the 18-29 age group. One can then see how lucrative the hair transplant business can be. BHR takes the road less traveled, the high road and in the end I think it's just a matter of time before this becomes evident to others. Dr. Bisanga has the highest degree of ethics, because that is who he is as person. As I said before, he is an absolute master at what he does. This is a skill that can only be honed from years of hard work and repetition, along with being gifted with a natural ability. It's no wonder that other doctors seek to be trained by him and learn the secret to his skill. But this skill is simply not something that can be acquired in a few weeks or months, but takes years. Repetition is the mother of skill and it's only with time that it can be achieved. Dr. Bisanga will not sacrifice his ethics for a little more profit. He lives by the Hippocratic oath and he will do no harm, nor will he be involved with others that potentially might do harm. Of course I have seen other clinics that use drills, or new mechanical type extracting devices. But I have also seen too many unproven techniques and therapies over the years that didn't quite pan out and are easily forgotten along with their victims. I can't afford the luxury of being a test patient or a victim once again. I needed to have something that has had proven results over the long term. Sure these new ways of extracting grafts might lower costs, but I will leave that for others to experience and wish you all the best in the experiment. I have experimented enough when I was younger and no longer have the will nor the intestinal fortitude to test the waters. I like to think that I have done my share and helped pave the way for the advancement of hair transplants. But it has come at a tremendous personal cost, both financially and emotionally. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be traveling to Europe to have my repair work done. It just never occurred to me that the solution to my predicament would be anywhere except what I thought to be the greatest country in the world, the United States of America. I always felt in the area of medicine, the USA was the most advanced and compassionate. Well it took a clinic and a great doctor on the other side of the world to change my view. When I got to the hotel in Brussels I will admit I was starting to feel a little doubtful. All these terrible feelings started to come back to me from my first ht 25 years ago. I stayed in a hotel all alone after that procedure and was anxiety ridden by what I had done. That one mistake 25 years ago was life altering for me. It's only something another victim of a bad hair transplant can understand. I asked myself what was I doing here in Brussels, and thought maybe I was making just another mistake. It turns out this was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. I am truly ecstatic with what Dr. Bisanga has done for me. The clinic and the staff went well beyond my expectations and my stay in Brussels was very enjoyable. Dr. Bisanga was able to extract a total of 828 grafts. 490 scalp, 238 beard, and 100 chest fue's. I never even thought about doing that many body and beard extractions. I thought about doing only 10 each before I left the USA, I was just too uncertain about potential scarring. But after meeting and speaking with Dr. Bisanga I felt very comfortable leaving my fate in his hands. I was that impressed by both his character and ability. Well I am thrilled to say that at this point there are absolutely no signs that any surgery was even performed. Dr Bisanga doesn't need machines to extract fue's, he is literally a machine himself. I say this with no exaggeration, he extracts fue's with the greatest of ease. The healing has been amazing and is still hard to believe. I actually went out to eat at a local restaurant the very next day. It was unnoticeable that quickly even with over 200 beard hair extractions. I have seen plenty of pictures of body hair extractions, and the results were never this good. The donor areas always seemed still quite red even a month later. It's hard to see the extractions from the chest area already, and it's only day 6. Philip at BHR is an incredible source of knowledge and information on the ht business. I encourage each and every person who is considering surgery to do your self a favor and tap into this base of knowledge. He is happy to share and help others. Regardless of if you use the services of BHR or not, you will be armed with knowledge and be able to make a better decision. Phillip is a very good-hearted and kind person. After speaking with him I got the impression that he is equally disgusted by what he sees transpiring in the ht business. I believe he is helping to try and change it. But the business will not change without a fight. It will go kicking and screaming. Stephen is one of the nicest and friendliest people you will ever have the chance to meet. I was able to view his 7000 fue work up close within inches. It is absolutely impossible to tell that any surgery was ever performed in both the donor or recipient areas. The rest of the staff at BHR was fantastic. Each and every one of them excels at their work. Dr. Hesam, Leith, Natasha, Genta, and Katarina make up part of an amazing team that simply gels together. I look forward to good growth and I am already planning my next procedure in my mind. I have every intention of being back in Brussels one year from now. Of course my situation is different then most. I am limited in what can be achieved and will more then likely still need to use a concealer. I have just made too many poor choices in the past. But I would like to take my repair work as far as it can go. To all the repair patients, there is hope. To all those considering their first procedure, take your time, become informed, and don't believe the hype. I will be posting pictures tomorrow including the results at the 1-week point. Total fue count 828 1 hair 2 hair 3 hair Scalp 220 470 Beard 32 108 98 Chest 98 2

I just got back today, so hopefully I will post pictures this week. It was such a great experience and I have so many good things to say that I need a few days. It's only been 5 days since the surgery and it's just about completely healed. I am truly amazed. I had my first ht about 25 years ago and I have been posting on the forums for well over 10 years. This is the most honest and ethical clinic that I have ever come across. Dr. Bisanga is a master at what he does. This is not false praise and I don't say these words lightly. We have all seen people in our life that were truly masters at what they do. Through constant repetition and natural talent they make the difficult appear easy. That is Dr. Bisanga a true master. Phillip is one of the most honest and ethical people I have ever met in this business. Anyone that doesn't take the time to seek his counsel is really missing a valuable opportunity to make a better decision. Regardless of weather you choose BHR or not, I would encourage anyone considering a ht to learn as much as you can from highly knowledgeable person. I viewed Stephen's work of over 7000 fue's. It is absolutely impossible to tell he has had any work done. Either in the recipient area or the donor area. He is also one of the nicest people you will ever meet. The staff at BHR is equally incredible. Each and every one of them.

EinAA, most people don't understand it's not so much about the money, it's about what it has done to your husband as a person. He will never be the same. It will take a long, long time before he can accept what has happened to him and regain some normalcy. Even so, he will never be the same person you use to know, that's the reality. He will hide from friends and family in shame. Everyday normal things for most people now will become big ordeals for him. If he is repairable, then you really need to seek the opinions of the top qualified doctors out there. I would start with Bisanga, Hasson & Wong, or Ron Shapiro. I have never commented on Armani, but from just some of the very low dense hairlines I have seen, I would say stay away. That's a giant red flag. I have been dealing with this for close to 23 years, and that is my opinion. I will say if you decide to do nothing then things will get better. But do you really want to wait 20+ years to have the husband that you knew back. I hope everything works out for you. Learn as much as possible before you make a decision.

Wow, some funny stories. It's nice to be able to look back and laugh. After all this time I'm glad I don't have anything that really stood out as being embarassed. It's bad enough having to be constantly paranoid. But there was that one time my boss insisted I go for a ride on his speed boat. LOL

Well after being on the forums for 10 years I believe BHR is the best all around clinic. But I would also say that I really like SMG. My case is somewhat different then your case. I will hopefully be able to harvest some body and beard hair. If you were going for a strip, no one can argue with the results of Hasson & Wong. Whatever you choose, in this day and age you can consult with as many clinics as necessary. So take advantage of having that option. If you get a chance read my blog. If you ever want to have a phone conversation, it's not a problem.

I would say that it took at least 10 years to get the sensation back in the area where the strips were taken. Just a constant numb sensation. Sometimes it would itch and it was almost impossible to relieve it by scratching. I would say I now have about 90% sensation back

Lawtech, I am assuming you are from the Chicago area, same as myself. I have always heard good things about Dr Konior. But I would suggest that you get an opinion from several clinics and hear what their approach would be. In your case I would say at least 10 Sometimes as repair patients we dig deeper holes.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Whatever you do don't rush into having anything done until you can get the opinion of at least 5 or 6 clinics. It is also important not to believe everything you see on the internet. Talk to as many people in the industry both patients, prospective patients, and those associated with the clinics as possible. Do this in person or on the phone.

On January 11, 2010 I am scheduled to start my journey towards an attempted repair using the fue method of hair transplantation. I have been graciously offered pro bono work by the BHR clinic in Brussels, Belgium. I will also be testing body and beard hair at the same time. Since I am very limited as far as available scalp donor hair I am hoping body and beard hair can help greatly in improving my present situation. I have been on the forums for well over 10 years. After being what I have been through, choosing a doctor and clinic is probably one of the most difficult choices I have ever had to make. Even with my present condition, it's been easier to do just nothing, then to take the chance and make the wrong choice one more time. My first choice would be not to have to travel. It's difficult enough to have to deal with this situation in daily life. Having to go through airports and security while having had surgery on my head is going to be quite an ordeal. I wish that I could go to someone local or at least someone here in the USA. But I have to be extremely cautious in my choice. I need a clinic that is highly experienced in fue. They also have to have extensive experience in body and beard hair. A bonus would be that the doctor has a natural artistic talent. Dr. Bisanga happens to be highly gifted in this area, one only need view his work to agree. But most important of all, the doctor and clinic need to be caring, compassionate and have my best interests at heart. Over the last 10 years I have finally narrowed down my choice to one clinic, the BHR clinic in Belgium. The BHR clinic meets each and everyone of these points. I came to this conclusion about 1 year ago. Even though I knew it was the only clinic that I really felt comfortable with, I was still hesitant in taking the leap. Read my blog and view my pictures and I think you can understand why. It was only recently when the pro bono offer was made to forum members that I thought I really need to get this process started and maybe this offer was my one chance in a lifetime. There are so many individuals out there that are in need of repair I wasn't sure that I would even have a hope of winning, but still I had to at least try. Well you can imagine my elation when I found out I had gotten the most votes from the members of another forum and I was chosen to have the repair work done for free. The clinic phoned me that same night and congratulated me. I was so excited I could hardly believe it. The voting was so close that the BHR clinic offered the next to two runners up to also have pro bono work done. What does this tell you about this clinic? It's the same conclusion I came to 1 year ago when I first spoke to Phil B over at BHR. I had already consulted with at least a dozen clinics here in the USA and abroad. I have spoken to at least a dozen repair patients that have had work done by other doctors. It was only after I spoke to Phil along with seeing the artistry of Dr. Bisanga's work that I knew I had found what I was looking for in a clinic. My expectations are realistic. More then likely I will always be forced to use a concealer until HM or something similar comes along. My main goal is to not make my situation worse then it already is at this point. I don't expect the BHR clinic to perform magic. But I do know that they are caring and they will do their best to help me. I am hoping I have enough scalp donor on the sides of my head, especially near the top where it was pulled up from the scalp lifts to make a difference. My main concern is the frontal 1/3 approximately 1-2 cm behind the hair line. If body hair works, I would love to soften up the hairline sometime in the future. If beard hair is a viable source, then I would like to work my way progressively back towards the crown and maybe work on that vertical scar. The strips scars that run horizontal are the least of my concerns. I will go with Dr Bisanga's recommendations, he is the expert, and this is how it should be. A patient should feel comfortable enough to say the doctor is an expert, he has my best interest at heart, and I feel complete confidence in letting him make the right decisions. If you are wondering if I am nervous the answer is of course I'm nervous. My whole experience with hair transplantation has taken a very heavy toll on my life. This is only something another repair patient can understand. I have spoken personally to many of the repair patients you have seen post on the forums over the years. It always feels good to have the support of others that are in a similar situation. Sometimes we can even laugh at what we have to go through in daily life, but sometimes it's also a reminder of the personal emotional pain we have had to endure. It can completely change you as a person. Well I have my fingers crossed and I am hoping for the best. I will keep all the forum members informed with both pictures and posts so that you can see my progress. It's the only way for others to learn, and make informed decisions. Please visit my blog to view pictures. Topcat

Yes, Dr Puig has a long history of butchering patients and destroying lives. Talk about a doctor that did exactly the opposite of the Hippocratic oath, he's the man. http://www.angelfire.com/indie...ransplant/scalp.html http://hairtransplantrepair.blogspot.com/

Ceasar, I am considering some repair work using fue, along with testing body and beard hair. Only the best of the best will do, as I can't afford to make a mistake. I also want to work with a person that cares about helping people. NO wacky doctor personalities, that are just in for the money. Obviously, I have crossed Brandy off my list, LOL.

Hey, I went to Brandy. Check out my blog and tell me what you think. Good luck with your transplant.

I had work done at Thomas/Elliott when they were working out of Chicago. They used the janitor to place my grafts. I ended up with a great deal of donor depletion along with very poor reuslts. The local CBS news affiliate did a huge undercover expose. I'm sure this hurt their business tremendously. Since that time Thomas died in a horrific car crash. Sometimes these things have a way of working themselves out. But not completely, as Elliott has set up shop in CA. There are many doctors out there with shady pasts. The internet is a double edge sword. It's great for promoting, but you never know when former patients who were butcherd might surface. I would suggest staying away. It's not because you might get poor results. I'm sure all the practice has made some docs better. It's a matter of character. What kind of a person would be so greedy, that they would allow a janitor to take part in a medical procedure.

Bill, When I say forum's delete negative posts, I'm speaking in general. I'm not trying to slam this site in anyway. This might be one of the better sites, I really don't know. I don't come here enough. When I comment it's mostly geared toward repair work. If we all had virgin scalps the decison would be much easier, with docs like Hasson & Wong, Shapiro and Bisanga out there. Dale, it's hard to say what you should do, without seeing pictures. In my own personal situation I believe I have enough head hair on the sides, especially near the top that can be fue'd to normalize the frontal 1/3. As far as the rest, beard and bodyhair might help. But as we both know what can happen, I am being extremely cautious. I also agree with you about doctors being honest. I have no problem with a doc that is honest and fails. It's the outright lying and fraud that is the problem. Unfortunately fraud and dishonesty do not apply to just the ht industry, as current events plainly point out. Out of control captilism has caused many to lose their moral compass.

My advice would be take your time. I would say you need to research at least 1 year or more. The various forums offer a tremedous amount of information, but also keep in mind that they are all sponsored. You don't always get the negative experiences, because they get deleted. This is not always the case, but is does happen often. You might be able to use bodyhair, but the results have been hit or miss. Some patients have gotten zero growth and others have had it all fall out after a year. Now the big thing is beard hair. Don't be the first one in the pool. The longer you can wait, the better your options will be. Some doctors appear to be saints, but from my own private conversations with past patients nothing could be further from the truth. Once again take your time, and wait as long as you can. Learn from your own experience and the experience of others. This is my own personal opinion and since my own experience has been negative, I am a bit more cautious.

Personally I don't think hairboy's comments were out of line, but that's just my own personal opinion. He just doesn't realize most of these forum's are sponsored sites. One needs to get their story and point across without going over the line. He just needs to learn where the line is drawn. Maybe to some this sounds childish, but this is the way it works. As far as his story with Rassman, I tend to believe it. It's hard to imagine someone taking the time to post his experience if it's all a big lie. There are also the legal implications. I can sit hear without fear and say that Thomas/Elliott of Chicago actually used the janitor to place my grafts. I don't have to worry about being served with a law suit, because it actually happened, and can be backed up. I would also advise hairboy tell your story, but avoid arguing with posters and moderators.

My recommendation to anyone that can't wait. Go with fue, and have no more then 500 done in an area where it will not stand out. If you decide it's not what you expected then there is no harm done and the cost is minimal. Telling about your experiences is also very useful to other repair and prospective patients. The problem is when the truth is very negative some of the sites tend to delete or ban the posters. This makes it difficult to get a balanced view from the forums. This is just my opinion and I could be 100% wrong.