Teddw2ds

This doesn't really have to do with the transplant procedure itself, but rather the doctors involved. Has it occured to anyone else on this board that these doctors seem to practice all over the place? If you look at the postings and the Dr. profiles, you will see some of these Drs. practice in five or six cities on a regular basis. What gives with that? I have never heard of such a thing in any other specialty. Just something I noticed and I found it interesting. Wondering if anyone else has ever thought about that as well.

I have periodically read about genetic therapies for regeneration of follicles, but I haven't seen much lately. Has anyone heard anything new? The most interesting article comes from the Journal Gene Therapy Weekly, Oct. 18, 1999: "The new strategy for hair growth uses a modified cold virus (adenovirus) to carry a gene called "Sonic hedgehog" into the skin. Sonic hedgehog is known to play an important role in embryonic development of many organs, including the brain, skeleton, and hair follicles. In this example of "regenerative gene therapy," Crystal and his colleagues theorized that by transiently expressing this embryonic gene in the adult skin, the result would be acceleration of growth of the normal hair follicle. The results, dramatically demonstrated in mice, show accelerated growth of hair in the area of treated skin. Crystal said, "The newly produced hair shafts in treated mice had normal hair structures, both under microscopic examination and to the naked eye. The observations in this study may be relevant to a new approach to therapy for hair loss, in which a gene-transfer vector provides localized, transient acceleration of the maturation of hair follicles, resulting in hair growth. For example, such a strategy may be beneficial in accelerating hair growth following chemotherapy."

I have periodically read about genetic therapies for regeneration of follicles, but I haven't seen much lately. Has anyone heard anything new? The most interesting article comes from the Journal Gene Therapy Weekly, Oct. 18, 1999: "The new strategy for hair growth uses a modified cold virus (adenovirus) to carry a gene called "Sonic hedgehog" into the skin. Sonic hedgehog is known to play an important role in embryonic development of many organs, including the brain, skeleton, and hair follicles. In this example of "regenerative gene therapy," Crystal and his colleagues theorized that by transiently expressing this embryonic gene in the adult skin, the result would be acceleration of growth of the normal hair follicle. The results, dramatically demonstrated in mice, show accelerated growth of hair in the area of treated skin. Crystal said, "The newly produced hair shafts in treated mice had normal hair structures, both under microscopic examination and to the naked eye. The observations in this study may be relevant to a new approach to therapy for hair loss, in which a gene-transfer vector provides localized, transient acceleration of the maturation of hair follicles, resulting in hair growth. For example, such a strategy may be beneficial in accelerating hair growth following chemotherapy."

I have read some articles based on research that indicates hair follicles are not subject to the same organ-rejection response as other organs. The reason for this difference appears to still be unknown, however. The article I read comes from the site of the clinic in Clearwater, FL that I was planning on using (I ended up deciding not to go with them, though). http://www.hairscalplaserclinic.com/about.html As for using donor hair from a twin... I have an identical twin, and I can assure you he would not be very amenable to the idea, considering he has less hair than I do. I have been using Propecia/Proscar for about 3 years and he has not, so I have a nice ready-made control subject to compare myself against!

I don't recall the entire pricing structure, but I believe Dr. Rose's minimum range was for 750 or fewer grafts and that was at $3000 or $3500. Something in that range. That was strictly for new work, though... I don't know if he has different pricing for repair work, if that's what you are looking for.

I know Dr. Lehr is listed as a recommeded doctor on this site, but I have seen almost nothing about any personal experiences with him. Has anyone on here had a procedure done by Dr. Lehr, and what are your thoughts? I am planning on meeting him in the next few weeks. I met with Dr. Rose last week and I was really impressed with him, but in the interest of being thorough, I want to meet with at least one other doctor. Is Lehr worth my effort? Thanks

I know Dr. Lehr is listed as a recommeded doctor on this site, but I have seen almost nothing about any personal experiences with him. Has anyone on here had a procedure done by Dr. Lehr, and what are your thoughts? I am planning on meeting him in the next few weeks. I met with Dr. Rose last week and I was really impressed with him, but in the interest of being thorough, I want to meet with at least one other doctor. Is Lehr worth my effort? Thanks

kjp I met with Dr. Rose last week in Tampa, and I can tell you that I was thoroughly impressed. He is truly a caring doctor, with a passion for beautiful results. He is also a highly regarded physician, having earned the respect of his peers and many devoted patients. I have not had my HT yet, but I am almost certain Dr. Rose is where I will go. He seems to be all over the place, with offices in Tampa, New York and Minneapolis (where he works with Dr. Shapiro), but I know that he has done some work in Philadelphia also, but I don't know how often he gets there. You can easily find his contact information on this site. I would definitely encourage you to call and find out when he's going to be in Philadelphia again.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I knew when I cancelled that I made the right decision. I just had a sense of relief that I wouldn't be going through with this. I had read enough horror stories here and on other sites to know that I should trust my gut instinct. Unfortunately, it seems like bad transplants are all too common, and I didn't want to end up being one of those woeful souls sharing the story of my misery after a rash decision. After reading your comments, I know for certain that I made the right choice. You all just confirmed what I already knew in my heart. I'm glad to see that everyone has such a high opinion of Dr. Rose. I know I certainly do, even before having the procedure.

I haven't had my transplant procedure yet, but I wanted to share my experience with two different Tampa-area clinics, which I just recently visited. I went to Tampa with the full intention of having the procedure done by the Hair and Scalp Laser Clinic in Clearwater. I had done about two years of reading and research and I felt comfortable with the reputation of Dr. Paul Riggs. When I got there for my consultation, however, I learned that Dr. Riggs was no longer associated with this practice. That was my first red flag... no one mentioned this until I flew in for the procedure. Instead, the work would be performed by Dr. Michael Markou. I know nothing about this guy and he may well be a fine surgeon, but I want my work done by a world-class physician, not some guy trying to gain experience. I never even met with the doctor, only a consultant. This consultant, John Satino, was certainly a nice guy, very helpful and very informative, but I was leery about the fact that I didn't get to meet the doctor during my consultation. I called to cancel the procedure. While I was there, though, I made an appointment with Dr. Paul Rose, who has a sterling reputation and is obviously one of the pre-eminent practitioners in this field. The contrast could not have been more apparent. His office was so accomodating (they got me in with just two days' notice), and Dr. Rose himself was very professional and thorough in his evaluation. He took the time to ask about my family history and my goals for my appearance. He took the time to thoroughly explain his techniques, drew in the outline of what would be my new hairline, and answered all my questions and even offered information I would not have thought of. There is a reason Dr. Rose has the stellar reputation he's got, and I will likely go with him for my procedure. He obviously cares a great deal about not only running his business, but also about creating truly magnificent looking hair.

I haven't had my transplant procedure yet, but I wanted to share my experience with two different Tampa-area clinics, which I just recently visited. I went to Tampa with the full intention of having the procedure done by the Hair and Scalp Laser Clinic in Clearwater. I had done about two years of reading and research and I felt comfortable with the reputation of Dr. Paul Riggs. When I got there for my consultation, however, I learned that Dr. Riggs was no longer associated with this practice. That was my first red flag... no one mentioned this until I flew in for the procedure. Instead, the work would be performed by Dr. Michael Markou. I know nothing about this guy and he may well be a fine surgeon, but I want my work done by a world-class physician, not some guy trying to gain experience. I never even met with the doctor, only a consultant. This consultant, John Satino, was certainly a nice guy, very helpful and very informative, but I was leery about the fact that I didn't get to meet the doctor during my consultation. I called to cancel the procedure. While I was there, though, I made an appointment with Dr. Paul Rose, who has a sterling reputation and is obviously one of the pre-eminent practitioners in this field. The contrast could not have been more apparent. His office was so accomodating (they got me in with just two days' notice), and Dr. Rose himself was very professional and thorough in his evaluation. He took the time to ask about my family history and my goals for my appearance. He took the time to thoroughly explain his techniques, drew in the outline of what would be my new hairline, and answered all my questions and even offered information I would not have thought of. There is a reason Dr. Rose has the stellar reputation he's got, and I will likely go with him for my procedure. He obviously cares a great deal about not only running his business, but also about creating truly magnificent looking hair.

Ethan... I just got back from a trip to Tampa (Clearwater area) to have a procedure done by the HSLC. I researched a great deal about several places and felt comfortable with the reputation of Dr. Riggs and liked the laser procedure's supposed quick recovery time. When I got there, though, I just did not have a good feeling about the place, especially since no one bothered to disclose to me the fact that Dr. Riggs is no longer associated with that practice. I left without getting a transplant, but I did visit Dr. Paul Rose while I was in the area, and I could not have been more impressed. I am almost sure I will go there for my transplant instead. The Dr. performing transplants at the HSLC now is a Dr. Michael Markou, who I know nothing about. With a HT, the expertise of the surgeon is paramount, and I want the veyr best, not some guy who I know little about, and whose experience I am not familiar with. Just my two cents worth.