ninedonealready_2008

Bill, you are the one who moved my posting into 'Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews'. I didn't post in this area, because like you said, I haven't had surgery with him. But you felt it belonged in this forum and thus moved it here, which is fine. I live in the Chicago area, so I am interested in our area doctors more than others. I think the points I made about Dr Kalamris and his relationship with the former sales consulatant (the Goz) at Robert Thomas, makes why i made this post pretty self evident. Bill, why do you have an attitude of not wanting information, whether experienced first hand or discovered, not to be made by people on this site. I am confused.

lorenzo, I think actually we kind of agree. I was actually making your point (maybe not well - lol) that doctors who are doing a whole bunch of other cosmetic procedures are not the doctors you want to go to for a ht procedure. I think my reference to a cosmetic plastic surgery background is more in reference to ht doc's educational and residence background as I don't think there really isn't one dedicated soley hair transplants. I think the point I am making can also apply to doctors who are doing cosmetic/plastic surgery procedures other than hair transplants. I would be scared of a doctor who is doing this procedure who did not come from a costmetic/plastic surgery and/or dermatogoly backgroud (ie, a family doctor all of sudden doing lipo - because he can make easy $) There are exceptions to this rule. But I would be leary of say a doctor who originally was an gyncologist doing ht's or cosmetic procedures (though some might make this transition well). So actually, I think you and I agree.

I know that one of the doctors the Goz, who used to be a sales consultant for Robert Thomas, is contracting out to is a Dr. Kalamaris. Basically the Goz and Phyicans Cosmetic and Hair Institute (which is located in the same Rosement location as past 'great' (-wink-) Cleveland/PHTI/RTMA doctors Pwig, Thomas, Panine, McVaugh, etc.) doesn't have its own ht doctors. It contracts out business to other ht doctors who have their own independent practice. One of these doctors is Dr Kalamaris. Please go to this site to see info on Dr. Kalamaris. http://www.locateadoc.com/doct...1501-orlandpark.html Please note in the right hand column, all of the different cosmetic procedures this doctor performs. Notice most importantly, the procedures highlighted in bold are the procedures he does most frequently. Please note hair transplatation is not one of these procedures. There are a lot of great ht docs with cosmetic/plastic surgery backgrounds. In fact, I really would only trust a ht doctor with either a cosmetic/plastic surgery and/or dermatology background. Doctors who come from other backgrounds often only get into the ht business because it is easy money. If a doctor is say a family doctor or an ER doctor than you have to wonder why did he suddendly get into the ht business. But when your main emphasis is not even ht's but a whole bunch of other procedures, then I believe it is huge mistake to let that doctor do ht work on you. Perhaps that is why Dr. Kalamaris is using PCHI to contract out his ht work. Perhaps because his patients who visit him directly in his Orland Park office, are aware that he is mainly a cosmetic/plastic surgery doctor. But since in 2008, ht's are by far the most requested and popular cosmetic procedure for men, this doctor wants to move more into the more lucrative ht business. Patients who go to PCHI for a consultation and are sold an ht procedure to done by Dr. Kalamaris, are unaware of his background. Thus this the motivation behind his 'relationship' with PCHI.

I know that one of the doctors the Goz, who used to be a sales consultant for Robert Thomas, is contracting out to is a Dr. Kalamaris. Basically the Goz and Phyicans Cosmetic and Hair Institute (which is located in the same Rosement location as past 'great' (-wink-) Cleveland/PHTI/RTMA doctors Pwig, Thomas, Panine, McVaugh, etc.) doesn't have its own ht doctors. It contracts out business to other ht doctors who have their own independent practice. One of these doctors is Dr Kalamaris. Please go to this site to see info on Dr. Kalamaris. http://www.locateadoc.com/doct...1501-orlandpark.html Please note in the right hand column, all of the different cosmetic procedures this doctor performs. Notice most importantly, the procedures highlighted in bold are the procedures he does most frequently. Please note hair transplatation is not one of these procedures. There are a lot of great ht docs with cosmetic/plastic surgery backgrounds. In fact, I really would only trust a ht doctor with either a cosmetic/plastic surgery and/or dermatology background. Doctors who come from other backgrounds often only get into the ht business because it is easy money. If a doctor is say a family doctor or an ER doctor than you have to wonder why did he suddendly get into the ht business. But when your main emphasis is not even ht's but a whole bunch of other procedures, then I believe it is huge mistake to let that doctor do ht work on you. Perhaps that is why Dr. Kalamaris is using PCHI to contract out his ht work. Perhaps because his patients who visit him directly in his Orland Park office, are aware that he is mainly a cosmetic/plastic surgery doctor. But since in 2008, ht's are by far the most requested and popular cosmetic procedure for men, this doctor wants to move more into the more lucrative ht business. Patients who go to PCHI for a consultation and are sold an ht procedure to done by Dr. Kalamaris, are unaware of his background. Thus this the motivation behind his 'relationship' with PCHI.

mmhce - Robert Thomas is dead (car accident about 4 years ago) and was the worst of the worst. Please Grow Please - after Thomas botched me up - I went to Pomerantz. Yes, he is not very good. I do think he's gives a sh*t more than say a Thomas, but just is not talented and is stubborn in his ways. He still believes in the punch graft - claiming somehow it elimates bald skin - huh? Pomerantz messed me up with a massive concentration of kenalog which he never told me he was doing - just that he would be able to reduce ridging I had as a result of Thomas. The part of my head where he did the injections where the ridging was more pronounced I permanetly lost tons of native hair. To this day I have a good amount of native hair on the other side where he didn't do the injections. Of course he never told me what he did, and only told me the hair would grow back - which it never did. Any doctor will tell you have to start conservative with the kenalog shots. He tried to reduce my ridging with kenalog in ONE bang - which he did succeed in doing. But in the process caused permanent hair loss - and then the ridging came back anyway. I have gone to Konior for consultations and my brother went to him. My brother's work was great. I think that's also why I get so depressed about all of this - is that I see how good it could have been especially since my brother and I have had almost exactly the same hair loss pattern. Obviously, I started with ht's before my brother (and the explosion of hair transplant info on the web). Thus I was in the dark when it came to picking doctors. I hate myself for only having a consult with Thomas and based on that one consulation (not meeting other doctors) went with him. Some of my problems are beyond repair. I went down to Cole because I thought bht was my only option and because he has done more fue than anyone in North America and with 4 strip scars, fue was my only option. He did improve some of my problems but there is only so much he can do and he charges a very high amount for his work. His price for plug removal is $123 per plug and then $7 on top of that for each graft he reimplants from the plugs!!!!! I am still in excessive debt due to the 2 procedures I have had by him. Which not only sucks obviously for being in debt, but also I'd can't for a very long time have more repair work done because I am so much in credit card debt. If I had a fresh head, I would go either go to Konior for a strip surgery or Cole if I decided to go the FUE route. Cole's prices for fue is on the high end but pretty much about the same as the other top doctors. His prices for plug removal are way over the top. Cole is more aggressive than Konior. I think to a small extent (though not like the real hacks) he promises more than he can deliver. But he does do excellent work. Konior won't make any promises he can't keep and has pretty much talked me out of some things I wanted to do - like put more hair in my crown. He did the same thing with my brother, who was interested in lowering his hairline. If all things are equal - going to a local doctor is better. Just for follow-up care and feedback - so yea, today I would probably choose Konior if I were to do strip surgery. I think the top strip doctors are now leaving behind such unoticable scars from strip surgery with the new closure methods, that they believe fue is not necessary because the transection rate with fue is higher (though Cole disagrees with this) and the strip scar is barely noticable and can be easily filled in with very few graft via fue at a later date.

And the doctors I'm speaking specifically about are Chicago doctors. Chicago, outside of Konior, is notoriouly known throughout the hairloss community, as being a joke when it comes to its hair transplant doctors. Why even consider a Wentland or a Pomerantz or some of the other Chicago doctors in this vain? There is nothing saying that if you live in Chicago you have to have your hair tranplant in Chicago.

I have heard Pat or others talk about reevaluating a doctor's work. Perhaps someone has had or has seen past bad work by a doctor and is criticizing that doctor out here and Pat or someone 'patient advocate is saying that this doctor's work is better than before and should be 're-evaluated' As a former ht patient of some of terrible Chicago doctors - I understand exactly the order of precedence a patient would want with regards to the possibility of a hair transplant: 1.) The results promised by a doctor's advertising, their sales consultant and/or the doctor themself. 2.) No work done at all 3.) Crap work by a doctor PLEASE NOTE #2 IS AHEAD of #3!!!!!!! Lets say for arugments sake that one of these doctors' work has improved. What you must look at it, and can not deny is that this doctor at some point in his past, lied or made promises he could not keep, permanently butchered and disfigured patients, and perhaps emotionally and financially ruined a patients life. So you have to ask yourself when evaluating this type of a doctor is... What is the honesty, the integrity, and most importantly - is this doctor looking out my best needs or his pocketbook placed ahead of your needs? He has proven in the past that he has been dishonest for the sake of his wallet and/or to just use a patient as a guinea pig victim to practice on. There is so much information available on the internet to find a good number of quality doctors throughout the US. Why, then, would one even consider a doctor who has demonstrated a lack of honesty and integrity in his past?

I'd like to know that answer.

thank god - he was the worst of the worst he ruined my life. Now this sales consultant/patient advocate Steve (very tall skinny guy) who worked for Robert Thomas when he butchered me is now working for Wentland, who I hear is the Thomas of the 21st century (meaning a crook, liar, and a butcher). His work is probably only better than Thomas because its 2008 as oppose to 1998. Wentland had a sales consultant there back in the day named Dan. I had a consultation with Wentland and this talked to this Dan character. This guy Dan tells me that doesn't get paid and only works for Wentland because he himself is balding and want to help people and that the only compensation he was getting was free hair transplants by Wentland. I swear to god. I know anyone reading this would be like this guy must have misunderstood this guy, must be embellishing, etc. Trust me, I would. But I am telling you this is exactly what he said to me. I would ask specifically to clarify this - as I am like what are you talking about. And he just stood by that claim. And then when I was talking with Wentland and asked if this is true (the guy working for him for free) he said yes - but then quickly went on to another subject. What amazes me is not someone trying to con someone with this story, is they actually believe people would believe it. I mean (at least at the time) he wasn't even a good conman - lol. At the time there were no internet ht consumer advocate/recommendation sites like this one or Spencer's. And anyone who knows about the ht business knows that anyone who is an MD or DO can be part of the ISHRS. So I was looking for anything to differiante the docs to fix the botch job Thomas did. I saw the group which I forgot its name, it was something like the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgeons, something like that (which I later found out really didn't much as it was created by Leavitt and mostly had a bunch of MHRS docs in it though I think there were some other legitamately good doctors on it as well). I asked him if he was a member of this group and flatly said 'Yes' which was a complete lie because all of the members were listed on the group's site and he wasn't listed. Even though I later found out the membership in the group was pretty much meaningless, he lied to me and said he was a member because he knew that I was only going to go with a member doctor. He also told me that he could improve my worst scar by 90%. No if ands or but about it. It was presented to me that it was an absolutely certainty he would fix my scar by 90%. This was a neck scar (a scar that is too low that stretches out due to the movement of the neck). I saw all doctors in Chicago and some of the top doctors across the country (Bernstein, Vogel, McCellan) to discuss my scar. These doctor either told me flat out a scar revision wouldn't work, or that there is a possibility it could improve the scar but told this guy who told you a 90 % improvement was a con man. On my evaluation sheet he filled in he put as the status of my donor supply as 'great'. I had 4! 4 strip scars and one of the scars was 8 inches long and about 1/4 wide. And he puts down on my evaluation sheet my donor supply is great. I ask how could it be 'great' with all the scarring I have? He was then like, okay let's put down 'good'. This guy Steve doesn't come as cheesy as a Dick Malmin, but he is just as bad and hopefully, him, Malmin, Wentland will one day join Robert Thomas in hell for what they have done to their unsuspecting victims.