TomA

AHHHHHHHHHHHH! STOOOOOOP! I'd settle for TOLERATING the rest of the procedure. Is there any way to get a general anesthetic and just be unconscious the entire time?

When they take blood I have to look away or I get woozy. I just about passed out when I saw someone get an IV inserted. I have big issues with needles that don't come out quickly. (Shots are not a problem for me.)

Also depends quite a bit on where you have it done. As HB said, I was quoted $4.50 for the first 2000 and $2.50 for the rest in North America. Dr. Path in Thailand has a variable structure that runs from $2.25 to $2.00 Dr. A in India I think goes as low as $1.00/graft.

So you're about 5 months out. What was your experience like? How is coming along? Do you recommend his office?

HB: Thanks for everything except this... Ugh! ++Shudder++ I might pass out over something like that!

Dr. Pathomvanich, who apparently uses 2 assistant doctors, 3 nurses and 6 surgical assistants (the surgical assistants probably rotate).

Only if you can get them drunk enough to go topless...

I think he had posts removed that were not on topic and he thought that meant that he was banned. (Both his posts and my answers to them were removed because they didn't relate to the topic of the thread.) As Pat mentioned earlier, things god a bit disorganized yesterday...

Ok, the Doc I am considering estimated about 10 for 4000 so that's in the low end of your ballpark. He said that around 4500 took 11, too, so again that seems about right. (Their team is 12 people.) Thank you VERY MUCH for your input, Janna!

FYI: Dr.'s Wong, Pathomvanich and Hwang recently presented a joint workshop entitled, "Asian Hair Surgery Workshop" in Yokohama Japan. They were the main presenters. A copy of the program is available here: www.yokobikai.or.jp/pdf/ProgMailer_AsianSurgeryWS.pdf

FYI: Dr.'s Wong, Pathomvanich and Hwang recently presented a joint workshop entitled, "Asian Hair Surgery Workshop" in Yokohama Japan. They were the main presenters. A copy of the program is available here: www.yokobikai.or.jp/pdf/ProgMailer_AsianSurgeryWS.pdf

I would say this: PerfectFew HAS opened too many new topics regarding the same issue. If he agrees to stop doing that, I would not ban him. PerfectFew. Your points are interesting, but you could have made them in one thread. There is no reason to open dozens of threads to address one issue. It makes it harder for us to find the information that we are looking for and more difficult for us to get responses to our questions because other threads are being pushed down too quickly. In addition, it would be nice if you were a bit more courteous. You could make the same points without so much contention. Now, I must say, there are a few others on this site that are almost equally contentious when talking to people that are considering non-coalition doctors (Aquarius comes to mind, but he's not the only one), so I don't think that is a good reason to ban you. As for me, I actually LIKE it when people tell me that they disagree with me as long as they: 1. Tell me the rationale that they are using, and 2. Do it politely.

Jenna, What is the minimum time that 4000 grafts would take at Dr. Shapiro's office?

I understand your cost issues. There is a great deal of sticker shock in this business. There is definitely a big price difference, even outside the USA. For example: 4000 grafts by H&W in North America: $14840 4000 grafts by Dr Path in Thailand: $8537 ($6303 difference) 4000 grafts by Dr. A in India: $4500 ($4037 difference, $10,340 total) And while many people will say that you should never consider a doc that is not on the approved list, not many are stepping up to explain where the additional cash might come from. It is my understanding that Dr. A was on the approved list, but was removed for using photos that were not his own. That's not good. On the other hand, he was NOT removed because he did bad work. Dr. Path has been considered, but apparently has, for reasons unknown, not chosen to apply. Dr. Path has over a two month waiting list and has worked with Dr. Wong at H&W.

I just read that Dr. Path's office does traditional Thai Massage to help patients relax! Is this during the procedure or just before? I LOVE Thai massage, but can be pretty rough. Can it really be done DURING surgery?!

I just read that Dr. Path's office does traditional Thai Massage to help patients relax! Is this during the procedure or just before? I LOVE Thai massage, but can be pretty rough. Can it really be done DURING surgery?!

That's much different that what I expected--wow I'm really glad I asked! Assuming I do this, I might have freaked out if the physician walked away in the middle of things! Does that mean that the lead Doc cuts out the donor area and sews you back up? Then someone else takes that "strip of flesh" (ick) and cuts out the follicles. Does the lead doc then make the incisions for the grafts? And then the tech puts the hairs into the "slits"? How does the tech find all of those tiny slits? Or does the tech make the holes, too? I wouldn't normally ask something like this, but I've noticed that you do already do tutorials--can I make a suggestion for one? Could you walk us through what we might expect on a treatment day from beginning to end? It looks like you've had three different docs, including one megasession, so your perspective on this would be very valuable to me, and I suspect others as well! Well hopefully my "experience" with 15 hour flights to Hong Kong will allow me to breeze right through it... though I suppose they won't serve cocktails!

I've heard that megasessions (4000-4500 grafts) can take 8-10 hours. My question is about physician fatigue vs multiple physicians. Are there normally other physicians that assist in the procedure? I was told by one doctor that there are actually assistant doctors as well as nurses and surgical assistants that "take turns". I'm not sure who takes turns with whom, but I assume that the other docs may assist with the actual surgery while the nurses and surgical assistants take turns with one another. Can one of you experts that has actually had a megasession please tell us how this went for you?

I've heard that megasessions (4000-4500 grafts) can take 8-10 hours. My question is about physician fatigue vs multiple physicians. Are there normally other physicians that assist in the procedure? I was told by one doctor that there are actually assistant doctors as well as nurses and surgical assistants that "take turns". I'm not sure who takes turns with whom, but I assume that the other docs may assist with the actual surgery while the nurses and surgical assistants take turns with one another. Can one of you experts that has actually had a megasession please tell us how this went for you?

I will be in Thailand this summer and will have a consultation at his office. I am strongly leaning toward having a procedure with him. Anything I can do?

I have a prescription here for 100 tabs and the price at Walmart Pharmacy is US$220. Does anyone know if a generic is available in Hong Kong yet and whether it requires a prescription to get it? If so, I might just wait and get this when I get to Hong Kong.

I have a prescription here for 100 tabs and the price at Walmart Pharmacy is US$220. Does anyone know if a generic is available in Hong Kong yet and whether it requires a prescription to get it? If so, I might just wait and get this when I get to Hong Kong.

I think the scalp reduction thing is old--something he used to do that he, as a surgeon, enjoyed. I haven't come across one single person on ANY site that mentioned that Dr. Pathomvanich recommended a scalp reduction. Marketing as a discipline is not very advanced in Asia (except Japan and Singapore). I'm involved in changing that, but for now, the concept of consumer psychology is not well understood. No one would put that on a Web site in the USA because of the negative associations involved.

I've been reading that Propecia can prevent shock loss after a transplant. Anyone know more about this? I got a prescription from my Doc for 100 tabs today, just in case I end up doing this. (Looks like Dr. Path can get me in on July 20.) (I also got a prescription for Ambien!) I'm not sure I need to be taking it for any OTHER REASON--see my current hair pattern below--LOL!

I've been reading that Propecia can prevent shock loss after a transplant. Anyone know more about this? I got a prescription from my Doc for 100 tabs today, just in case I end up doing this. (Looks like Dr. Path can get me in on July 20.) (I also got a prescription for Ambien!) I'm not sure I need to be taking it for any OTHER REASON--see my current hair pattern below--LOL!