Woods technique

[Guest]

Does anyone know anything about this technique?

They clain to be less traumatic to the donor and implantation site and are able to repeat sessions every other day. Anyway I have seen they're web site and it sounds legit.

[Guest]

Does anyone know anything about this technique?

They clain to be less traumatic to the donor and implantation site and are able to repeat sessions every other day. Anyway I have seen they're web site and it sounds legit.

[mike]

This is what I know about the Woods Technique.I understand this is a controversial method, but it seems promising. Bernstein thinks it's bogus, and he may be right, but it's still unknown how it's exactly done.

 

As I understand "transection" (i believe that's the term) could be a problem. In other words it would be very difficult to remove follicular units from the back of the head one by one with out damaging the follicules. The strip method is easier to disect into follicular units because microscopes are used along with lighting that shines and luminates the skin fat to see the actual folicule to prevent hitting it with the knife. I have no idea how the woods method could remove the graft with certainty, and some people call it blind harvesting. Woods claims to have worked on and perfected this method over the last 10 years, and will not educate the other HT doctors on how to successfully do this proceedure. So of couse the other doctors in this field are skeptical, and maybe a little offended by his not sharing the knowledge. So... my opinion is to research it as much as possible. I would love to believe it works.

 

Good luck

 

[This message was edited by Pat - editor and "Recovered Bald Guy" on November 15, 2001 at 12:43 PM.]

[Guest]

I'm not a doctor, but it seems to me that it would be very difficult to harvest individual follicles without damaging a significant number of them. You would have to know (guess) the direction of the follicle under the skin to get it right. I don't doubt that it works, but I would suspect that there is a significant follicle "mortality rate" when using this method. Then, there's the time and cost of doing it this way (oh yeah, you have to go to Australia, too). I've studied their web site as well and don't feel at all bad about having had the well-proven strip excision procedure.

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Lately there has been a good deal of interest in various techniques that remove follicular unit grafts from the donor area one by one. This is a new alternative to using the standard method of surgically removing a hair bearing donor strip (like I had done).

 

The two names that claim to be advancing this new technique are Dr. Woods in Australia and Dr. Rassman and NHI in the US.

 

NHI has been very open in sharing their technique and procedure with peers and patients alike. And NHI is now openly performing this procedure, which they call Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) or FOX.

 

I recently spoke with Dr. McClellan and Rassman of NHI about their new Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method of harvesting FU grafts from the donor area.

 

It sounds like an impressive technique for excising very tiny single follicular unit (FU) grafts one by one from the donor area. This is an alternative to removing a strip of hair bearing skin from the donor area and then microscopically dissecting it into tiny FU grafts.

 

Since skin contracts around the wound as it heals, the tiny incision created were the graft was removed heals without any noticeable scarring. Healing is also very rapid.

 

Once again, Dr. Rassman and his peers may be leading the way with a great new innovation.

 

I will be attending the annual medical conference of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery in mid October 2001 and hope to learn more then.

 

Dr. Woods unfortunately continues to be secretive about his alledged advances and does not attend the Internationals meetings and does not share his research or submitt it to the scrutiny of peers or the public.

 

I will ask Dr. Rassman to visit our discussion and post more details about his new FUE method.

 

Pat - editor

 

[This message was edited by Pat - Publisher of this site on February 03, 2002 at 10:41 AM.]

[Guest]

I found this interview in a hairsite discussion group, thought it may have some value here... Thanks to "Ken" the original poster.

 

An interview with Dr. Ray Woods and Dr. Angela Campbell on the "Woods Technique " of Micro follicular Hair Transplantation.

 

Doctors Ray Woods and Angela Campbell are a brother and sister surgical team from Sydney Australia who has developed a new approach to traditional hair transplants. Their procedure, known as "The Woods Technique", allows them to harvest hair from the donor area without surgically removing a strip of skin from the back or side of the head.

 

I recently had the opportunity to discuss the "Woods Technique" with Dr Ray Woods and Dr Angela Campbell and witness a patient undergoing a "Top Up " procedure at the Woods clinic in Moorebank, Sydney. The doctors operate out of two locations in Sydney, one for local patients in Moorebank, and a beach house clinic south of Sydney used mainly for overseas patients that includes a guest suite, which accommodates them during their stay.

 

One of the first things I noticed was that there were no surgical assistants. I asked Dr Woods about this and he informed me that each and every hair is removed and placed by himself and Dr Campbell. Because of the unique hands-on nature of their procedure they only treat approximately four patients per week, with each patient usually undergoing anything from one to six procedures. These procedures can be done on consecutive days.

 

I quizzed Dr Woods, whilst he prepared the patient for a local anesthetic, on a few key questions about his technique that would help explain his passion and belief that his method is the finest and least traumatic hair transplant in the world.

 

 

Q: Dr Woods, could you tell us about your background in medicine and how you became involved in hair transplant procedures?

 

My sister, Angela, and I studied medicine at Sydney University. I graduated in 1983 and Angela shortly afterwards. After spending several years working in various hospitals and private clinics Angela and I opened our own practice in 1986. Although we practiced all forms of general medicine, our practice was orientated towards surgical procedures. Whenever possible, we kept people out of hospitals if we could perform the surgical procedure in our rooms. We also treated skin cancers and gained a reputation for excellent cosmetic results. Many people traveled great distances for cosmetic, surgical and medical treatments.

 

However I had always wanted to do hair transplantation. This discipline had always fascinated me and I first thought about how it could be done when I was 18 years old. I had a vision that bulbs could be removed from where they were plentiful and placed into thinning areas, one by one. This idea stayed with me for many years. I knew that you did not need to replace the exact number of lost hair in order to achieve an acceptable cosmetic appearance. In the late 1980s I examined various patients who had undergone hair transplantation by supposedly the best in the business. We were confused, disappointed and perplexed as the advertised results seemed extremely credible and believable but the reality fell far short of this.

 

I realized it was time to commence work on what I had envisaged so many years before, that is, microsurgical bulb extraction without the removal of large strips of skin.

 

 

Q: When and how did you develop the technique?

 

The technique took many years and countless trials. In fact it evolved over an eleven-year period. Fortunately we had many of our regular patients, who were keen to help us develop our technique and we performed trials on them. It was tough financially, personally and emotionally. Hundreds of times the method and instruments failed, and hundreds of times I gave up. I would fall into bed late at night totally defeated, only to wake up suddenly in the early hours with a new idea. I would then race into work and try again.

 

 

Q: How do you remove the hair follicles without cutting?

 

It is impossible to remove bulbs without cutting. This is a microsurgical procedure. However, the central principle is of trauma minimalization. We endeavored to develop a procedure that was minimally surgically invasive. The first law of medicine is "Do No Harm". At one stage I also worried about hair loss. Hence I tended to adopt that little saying," Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It was extremely important for us to be able to remove follicles with the minimal amount of cutting. Over many years we perfected the science and the art of removing follicles via 1 mm Micro incisions. The time, effort and sacrifices were incredible, but then again, so are the results, which makes it all worth it.

 

 

Q: How does the technique differ from the conventional strip excision method?

 

Firstly it is true that the results of many strip excisions are very good but the results are critically dependant on the skill of the technician. Placement, selection and angulation of grafts is crucial. However the scar at the back of the head can be very bad even with the best surgeons as it is almost impossible to determine which patients will develop keloid scars or how a particular person will heal under strong tension sutures. This is why we have so much documented and videoed evidence of severe scarring even with the 'best' surgeons with good technique. The results of poor technique can be terribly disfiguring. I believe our method is vastly superior to even the best that's out there. One thing that sets us apart is that each and every hair is methodically and artistically placed by myself or Angela, and that is something that does not happen with other practices as that work is reserved for the assistants and is not done by the doctors themselves.

 

In the strip excision an expanse of skin is removed. This skin is then dissected, mostly by technicians and assistants. In the best-case scenario, follicular units are dissected out with the assistance of a stereoscope, that is, a magnification device. Usually the patient needs intravenous pain relief and sedation, with drugs such as morphine, pethidine and valium. Due to the sedation, the client cannot interact, and is not aware fully of what is going on.

 

The grafts are then placed into the balding area. There can be resulting scalp shock, trauma and scarring depending upon the skill and commitment of the technicians and assistants. The ability of the doctor to supervise his assistants is absolutely crucial. Unfortunately, if the technician is having a bad hair day, then you get a bad hair job, but yours lasts a lifetime. In the Woods Technique, no assistants or technicians are used. There are no intravenous drugs. And certainly there is no strip excision. Follicular units are removed in groupings of 1,2 and 3 via microsurgical 1 mm incisions. The procedure is interactive and the client can observe as we place the hair, one by one, using 21 gauge, and occasionally 19 gauge hypodermic needles. This can only be done with magnification apparatus, and assures no indentation or scarring.

 

Q: What other benefits does the technique offer?

 

There is minimal trauma to the donor area. Repeat procedures can be done on consecutive days if required. We can utilize the entire donor area. After a few weeks the client can have a very short haircut without detection. We can achieve coverage in just a few weeks that would take strip excision surgery many years to accomplish. Of course the cosmetic result is superb and it would be done without the scarring, scalp shock and trauma. We take great care with each patient and do not employ any assistants to work on the patient. One definite difference is that we require far fewer grafts to achieve a comparable or better density and result to that proclaimed by strip excision advocates, as almost all of our grafts take and we actually do COUNT all of our grafts and thus we have a measurable achievable result.

 

 

Q: How long does the procedure take?

 

It's difficult to give a general answer as each case differs depending on the type of head we are working with. There are many factors that influence each case such as coarseness of hair, shape of head, skin tone and of course the number of hairs the client wants transplanted. Most take between 2 to 6 sessions, of 10 to 12 hours each, to achieve the result we are happy with. On one end of the spectrum, we do have clients who may only need a small area to be covered ("Top Up") and these can sometimes be completed in a day. On the other end of the spectrum in cases like those with significant baldness, more procedures may be necessary. A total of 6,000 hairs can be transplanted in a 7 to 10 day period. We can do 500 to 700 grafts in a session. Please note that a graft is equal to a follicular unit, and each contains 1 to 3 hair, so the average is 2 hair per graft. It is not a rushed procedure, and the patient is relaxed and comfortable.

 

Q: How many patients have been treated since you began your technique?

 

Approximately 1800.

 

Q: Why are other doctors not using your technique or a similar one?

 

Basically, why would they bother? To master our procedure will take many years of intensive commitment and sacrifice. Failure and frustration will be common and financial rewards will be long waited for.

 

However, with the strip excision method, there are cases of doctors taking a one-week crash-training course and the doctor can set up almost immediately. The market is massive and full of naive balding guys who trust in the 'credibility' of the medical profession. Since the industry is entirely unregulated, an impressive advertising campaign can be employed claiming anything that the doctor is prepared to claim, whether it be true or otherwise. In America people who are not actually medical graduates are allowed to do hair transplantations. How was it ever allowed to get that crazy?

 

Q: Do you see other doctors adopting your technique?

 

On masse, no. Strip excision is much easier, several clients can be done in one day, hence, the income is greater, and they can still fit in a game golf.

 

Q: Do you ever intend teaching your technique if other doctors express interest in learning it?

 

Yes. If they are really interested I will coach them for a minimum of a 12-month period in the "Woods technique." During that time they would perform our technique on patients who have previous scarring from other procedures and they will learn how we manage to get the hair to grow back over the scarred area. After they have learned the technique they could set up a clinic in their state and practice the technique in the same way that we are doing it right now. The important thing as I said earlier is that the doctor would do the work themselves, and not get an assistant to do the work. In addition I would contractually commit them to a minimum of 12 months of intensive training in Australia and have them pass the equivalent of a clinical examination and a set minimum number of cases in the most difficult of transplant and repair procedures before we would allow them to have use of the name of the 'Woods Technique'.

 

This would safeguard the public. This totally unregulated industry is responsible for unspeakable atrocities. We are determined to safe guard the public against those who would abuse our technique with mass production profit driven clinics.

 

We believe it is high time that strict controls and regulations be put into place. And this will start with our technique.

 

Doctors who are totally committed talented and skilled will be fully trained strictly assessed and accredited according to a strict code of conduct and capability. This will be enforced with legal and contractual obligations.

 

Q: Could you elaborate on the work performed on clients who have had previous strip excision techniques performed on them?

 

If the hairline has been badly placed, or if there are thick unsightly plugs, then we can remove those grafts individually. This also involves Micro skin grafting. We also get very satisfactory growth in scar tissue. This means we can place hair into donor site scars and other scars on the head such as post operative and radiation therapy scars where the hair is lost. If the donor hair has been decimated by scarring and loss due to tension suturing and shock fallout we can utilize body hair to infill and repair the scars.

 

Q: What kinds of results can someone expect from hair placed into scarred tissue and is the density sufficient to cover up the area.

 

The results can be excellent as is seen clearly in two of the patients on our website and video. One was of a lady who had a cancerous tumor removed and subsequent radiation treatment to the scalp. Her scar was one of the worst that we have seen as the tissue was very atrophic (paper thin) due to the radiation damage. Her procedure and follow up results were filmed for a national television documentary. Another was of a man who had a terrible strip incision scar. His donor site was extremely thin. His scar repair was through the combination use of his chest hair and donor hair. The results were extremely pleasing and are self-evident and the density is limited by the patients themselves when they feel they have enough.

 

Q: How much does your procedure cost and how do you calculate the cost, is it a per graft fee?

 

Our costs are not simply a per graft fee. . The costs are based on the perceived difficulty of the procedure, the number of grafts required and the time estimated for the procedure. With many repair procedures we are taking grafts out of unsuitable areas and then reutilizing them and skin grafting where necessary. The client's needs are also taken into account, for example we provide beachside accommodation with surgical facilities onsite and 24 hour access to ourselves for overseas clients. Costing is on an individual basis. Obviously the less complicated, the less costly the procedure, but it ranges from $7,500 to $12,000 (US Dollars) at the present time. Recently we have had clients where even the slightest haircut was not wanted. We then removed the grafts without cutting any hair but then again removing long hair is more difficult and takes longer and as such has a different costing.

 

We are sensitive to cases of hardship especially where there is scarring and /or an unnatural appearance

[Guest]

well now that you mention it... ARE there lots of guys running around with terrible strip scars? or is THAT also a rumor? i have seen a couple photos of bad strip scars, but i think you have no more proof of "numerous" guys with bad strip scars than i do of woods transection rate possibly being high. i think there are lots of unhappy HT patients from poor work as in pluggy grafts, etc. from old technology like plugs, and mini and micro grafts done poorly, but i myself have not seen a lot of talk from people with bad excison scars.....and certainly none from patients of the best HT surgeons as those recommended on this board. it just appears to me that a bad strip scar happens not-very-often to patients of poor surgeons. and once in a very great while to a patient of an excellent surgeon who happened to heal poorly. you see, i don't campare the risk of woods transection rate being high to the risk of a bad strip scar from ANY HT surgeon....just the risk of it from a great strip HT surgeon. to me....i'll take the latter risk.

[GNX]

IT'S YOUR HEAD AND YOU DECIDE WHO WORKS ON IT. YOU HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED THE EXCISION METHOD AND KIND OF STUCK WITH IT. I HOPE IT HEALS PROPERLY FOR YOU, TIME WILL TELL...?

 

ONCE YOU'VE HAD THE STRIP EXCISION I WOULD NOT EXPECT YOU TO NOW CHANGE AND GO WITH DR. WOODS UNLESS YOUR ONE OF THE UNFORTUNATE DISASTERS THAT NEEDS REPAIR...!

 

AND YOUR PROBABLY RIGHT, IT'S PROBABLY ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE POOR HEALING, I JUST CHOOSE NOT TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR THAT CONTEST, BECAUSE IF YOU LOSE YOU LOSE FOR A LIFE TIME AND ARE STUCK WITH IT FOREVER..! THAT THOUGHT JUST PUTS A CHILL DOWN MY SPINE, *UCK THAT, NO *UCKEN WAY....!!!!!!

 

HOW DOES ONE EXPLAIN THAT TO A GOOD LOOKING CHIC HE JUST MET AFTER HE BRINGS HER HOME...? DO YOU TELL WAR STORIES, OR DO YOU TELL HER THAT YOU GOT SCALPED BY A HT SURGEON AND THATS WHY YOU NOW LOOK LIKE FREAK OF NATURE AND SLEEP WITH A BASEBALL CAP...! SO YOU EITHER LIE ABOUT IT FOREVER OR TELL THE TRUTH. TELL THE TRUTH THEN SHE WILL KNOW THAT YOU'VE HAD A HT. TO SOME PEOPLE IT DOSENT MATTER, TO ME THAT MEANS EVERYTHING. I MEAN ISN'T THE HT ALL ABOUT IMAGE ANYWAY...? I MEAN ISN'T THAT WHY YOU SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON A HAIR TRANSPLANT...? TO LOOK BETTER, RIGHT... WHY ELSE..? THE RISK OF A HUGE UNSIGHTLY TELL TALE (HT) SCAR DEFEATS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING THE WAY I CURRENTLY LOOK, WHICH I AM APPARENTLY UNHAPPY WITH OR I WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU.....

 

SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE VIRGIN SCALPS IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR AN EXTRA YEAR AND GO WITH DR. WOODS AND LEAVE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF "BASEBALL HAT SYNDROME".

 

~GNX...

[Guest]

and thats how it should be. we understand each other's points well and i think you and i have hashed over the woods thing pretty well. now....let me throw a different question at you.

i paid $7200 for my roughly 2000 grafts. it was expensive but i managed it. lets say in a year i decide i want another 2000 to dense it up, fine-tune the hairline or whatever. i won't relish the idea of another $7200 (and likely somewhat more due to inevitable price hikes), but it might still be possible to manage a year or two down the line. if i were a woods hound like you and had somehow managed to pony up my, what, $23,000 or thereabouts for my first 2000 grafts....i don't even want to think about paying ANOTHER $23,000 (or more by then) for that second 2000 grafts. (or even half that for another 1000 grafts.) have you considered this side of it? yes, i know for the people with unlimited money its not an issue. but have you really considered whether your one procedure will be enough, and the financial considerations of that second one if you need it?

[GNX]

ACTUALLY I PLAN ON HAVING CLOOSER TO 3000 GRAFTS PREFORMED. IT WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO AUSTRALIA AND THEN MAKE THE TRIP AGAIN IN A YEAR...

 

I PLAN ON GOING TO AUSTRALIA WITH APPROX. $30-35,000. I PLAN ON HAVING BETWEEN 3-5 SESSIONS PERFORMED.

 

I WAS PLANNING ON BUYING A NEW CORVETTE YEAR, WHICH WOULD HAVE ROUGHLY COSTED ABOUT THE SAME PRICE OF A WOODS HT INCLUDING AIRFARE. BUT I DECIDED THAT A CAR DEPRECIATES ABOUT 20-30% AS YOU DRIVE IT OFF THE LOT. THE WAY I LOOK AND FEEL ABOUT MYSELF IS PRICELESS. PEOPLE WHO DRIVE NEW CORVETTES OR CARS SIMILIAR ARE NOT RICH... I CAN SPEND $1500 ON A CAR TO GET ME TO AND FROM WORK AND STILL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY LEFT OVER FOR A WORLD CLASS HT BY DR. WOODS.

 

ITS ALL ABOUT PRIORITY, I WORK MY ASS OFF AND MAKE ABOUT $80,000 A YR. $50,000 OF IT IS FROM SALARY AND $30,000 IS FROM OT. BUT EVEN IF YOU MADE $50,000 YOU COULD STILL EASILY AFFORD A SCARLESS HT FROM WOODS. OVER A LIFE TIME THE FEW EXTRA THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT YOU SPEND DOSENT MAKE A DENT IN YOUR LIFE STYLE.

 

A HOLLOWEEM TYPE "SCALP SCAR" ON THE OTHER HAND MAKES MORE THAN A DENT IN ONES LIFE, JUST ASK THE GUY THAT KILLED HIMSELF AFTER HE RECIEVED A POOR HT FROM ONE OF THE HT DOCTORS LISTED IN PATS WEBSITE. I DOUBT I OR MOST PEOPLE WOULD EVER GO THAT FAR AFTER A POOR (STRIP EXCISION) HT BUT THE FACT REMAINS, AN EXTRA $15-20,000 THAT ONE SPENDS TO GUARANTEE A SCARLESS HT WHICH COULD MAKE YOU LOOK WORSE THAN YOU DID BEFORE THE HT IS MORE THAN WORTH IT TO ME AND IM SURE MANY THOUSANDS MORE OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO. IT'S LIKE INSURANCE FOR HAPPINESS....SMALL PRICE TO FOR A LIFETIME OF LOOKING GOOD...!

 

I HEAR IT'S ABOUT A 3 MNTH. WAIT TO SEE DR. WOODS. I WOULD IMAGINE OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO THAT TIME FRAME WILL DOUBLE IF NOT TRIPLE...! I'M WILLING TO BET THAT IF NO OTHER DOCTOR CAN SUCCESSFULLY PERFORM A WOODS HT OVER THE NEXT 2-3 YRS. THE WAITING LIST TO SEE DR. WOODS WILL BE WELL OVER A YEAR IF NOT LONGER.

 

THINK ABOUT IT, FOR MEN IT IS BY FAR THE MOST POPULAR COMETIC SURGERY IN THE WORLD. FEW PEOPLE ACTUALLY KNOW OF DR. WOODS AND THINK BOSLEY(LOL), MHR(LOL), NHI(LOL), AND MANY OTHERS ARE THE WORLDS TOP HT SURGEONS....WHAT A JOKE THAT IS. ADVERTISING MISLEADS PEOPLE, I ONCE THOUGHT BOSLEY WAS ACTUALLY A WORLD CLASS HT BUSINESS. LOL, THAT TELL'S YOU HOW LITTLE I KNEW. IF I HAD THE MONEY AT THE TIME I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ELECTED TO GO THERE AND GET SCALPED BY SOME HT DOCTOR WITH 3 WEEKS EXPERIENCE (2 OF THOSE WEEKS SPENT AT A WEEKEND HT SEMINAR).

 

DR. WOODS IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD PERFORMIG WHAT MANY CONSIDER TO BE THE BEST HT IN THE WORLD. HT ARE THE WORLDS MOST POPULAR ELECTIVE SURGERY FOR MEN. SOONER OR LATER DR. WOODS IS GOING TO BE MORE POPULAR THAN SLICED BREAD...! THINK OF IT THIS WAY, FOR WOMEN BREAST IMPLANTS ARE THE MOST POPULAR SURGERY IN THE WORLD. IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE BREAST IMPLANT SURGEON IN THE WORLD WHO COULD PERFORM A SCARLESS BREAST IMPLANT SURGERY HOW MANY WOMEN DO YOU THINK WOULD BE FLOCKING TO HIM...?

 

I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT HIS PRICES WILL CONSIDERABLY RISE OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, THATS WHY IM SAVING AS FAST AS I CAN....! SUPPLY AND DEMAND MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND.

 

~GNX...

[Guest]

i would agree with you about your plan to get as much done as you can when you go.....you might as well try to be a one-time procedure if you can rustle up the money. you know how i feel about the transection issues raised about his technique....i personally feel you're a bit out on a limb with that, but it only matters what you think as its your money and head. i also feel you are making a bit much of the strip scar....i have yet to see anything credible that many people have a horrible strip scar, especially from known excellent strip surgeons. you did throw an interesting one out there when you said a guy killed himself after getting strip HT from a doctor recommended on this site. now GNX, you have a chance to add something of value here if you can tell us more about this. and why didn't you name names? which doctor was it? where did you hear this? or is this a rumor made up by the woods technique fans to make the strip scar seem more of a risk than it is? its time for you to "put up" or "shut up" !

 

[This message was edited by Jeff on November 20, 2001 at 01:21 PM.]

[arfy]

I know of one patient who "attempted suicide" because he was unhappy with his transplant from Dr. Brandy. There was a newspaper story about it. I will try to track it down. The guy was suing Brandy, saying his transplant was the reason he was driven to attempt suicide. I don't know how much the donor scar was a factor in that. I'll try to locate that on the web.

 

I also look at the hairlosshelp web site, and there are indeed complaints about donor scars in their forums. I've also read posts about donor scar problems at thebaldtruth.com. It does happen, maybe not to every patient, but it is a problem. Proof of that is at the recent ISHRS conference. There was a seminar about revising unacceptable donor scars. If they have to do a seminar about it, it is certainly an issue. I'm sure this is NOT the first year they have had to cover this subject!

 

Also, Gary asked if Woods method is valid, why is it not "catching on" with other doctors? Actually, I think it is. NHI is trying to develop their own version of it. And even the doctors who slam it (Knudsen etc) say they would love to know how it works. So the interest is definitely there. Whether they can catch up with Woods' 12 years of experience in developing his technique remains to be seen.

 

[This message was edited by arfy on November 20, 2001 at 02:02 PM.]

[Guest]

it would be interesing to see how bad the guy's scar actually was. (assuming the problem was not grafts that did not grow). i agree that the scar IS an issue, and a risk. i love the idea of all FU extraction and hope in the not too distant future it will become a reality for the average patient.

but i also do believe that if one is careful in his homework and selects a proven good surgeon then his risk of a BAD scar is minimal. there is nothing that doesn't have risk. we all take risks in living....hopefully prudent ones that we have considered. but the fact is...even though i chose an excellent surgeon, my strip scar could end up looking bad. (so far it looks very narrow). unfortunately in life, some of us will be on that airplane that falls out of the sky. its how we have to live to get the benefits to be had. i certainly understand in your case with your experience in HT the right to be very bitter. i feel for you. and if your doctor sold you a bunch of BS in the consult (i only say "if" as i wasn't there. but i don't doubt it at all) i imagine i'd feel exactly the same. there is a reason most of the guys from the plug graft era are pissed, just like most of us won't trust a car dealer or lawyer. because they EARNED that reputation by lying to people. it makes it hard on the honest ones. i do believe there also must have been honest ones that deserve credit for that. Dr. Limmer basically said he told his patients in those days what they could really expect. i have no reason to doubt him until his patients from those times say otherwise.

 

[This message was edited by Jeff on November 20, 2001 at 03:05 PM.]

[Dr. William Parsley]

Sorry about my comments on Dr. Woods being placed on a different thread. I am relatively new to these discussions but am catching on.

I don't seriously entertain a notion at this time that Dr. Woods' technique is the future. It is the technique of the past, with smaller donor plugs. On the conspiracy theory - can anyone give me one good reason that transplant doctors would have a conspiracy against him? He is certainly not a competitor of mine nor of many doctors in the States. We are happy to embrace any new techniques if they prove out. It is a characteristic of any good doctor. Improving keeps us motivated.

Scarless? That is totally wrong. You replace a long thin scar with hundreds or thousands of little scars that add up to more than the sum of the strip scar. Another point- of all the problems we deal with in transplanting, I would say cosmetically problematic donor scars are low on our list. I have had extremely few complaints in this area on a patient that I started with. This is not to say I don't deal with problems. Everybody does. But donor scars are not the thing that should worry you unless you plan to have a burr haircut. Don't confuse FU scars with scars from scalp lifts or scalp reductions. There is a big difference in tension and complications.

Arfy,I agree that no one should take my statements as the final word. Just take it as from one person's perspective. There are serious problems from my vantage point. Don't expect many doctors to take up this procedure even if he comes out of his shell of "secrecy". Most of the doctors feel we generally know his technique, it is just that we don't care for it. These are probably my last comments on Dr. Woods. I just thought some might want to know the general feelings of most transplant surgeons.

Dr. Parsley

[GNX]

WELL OF COURSE YOU OR OTHER DOCTORS DONT CARE FOR HIS TECNHIQUE....THAT IS NO SUPRISE TO ANYONE, BELIEVE ME..!

 

YOU KNOW ITS FUNNY, I'VE READ HUNDREDS OF POSTS ON THIS SITE AS WELL AS OTHERS AND YET ALL THE POSTS THAT I READ THAT DEAL WITH HT PROBLEMS THAT ONE HAS EXPERIENCED ALL COME FROM PATIENTS....!!!!! YEA, PATIENTS.....! NOT DOCTORS....!

 

YET WHEN I READ POSTS ON THIS SITE AND OTHERS IT'S ALWAYS DOCTORS BASHING DR. WOODS, NOT PATIENTS...? THATS PRETTY FUNNY...CAUSE ITS THE PATIENTS THAT SPEAK OUT AGAINST OTHER DOCTORS WHEN THINGS IN A HT GO WRONG, NOT DOCTORS...

 

GEE, IS IT LIKELY THAT EACH OF DR. WOODS PATIENTS DONT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET....? DOUBTFUL...! YET I PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL HT WEB SITES AND HAVE YET TO READ ANY..!!!!! POSTS CONCERNING UNHAPPY WOODS PATIENTS..!

 

YOU DONT KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT DR. WOODS PROCEDURE THAN THE REST OF US, AND MOST OF THE REST OF US ON THIS SITE AND OTHERS ARE CERTAINLY NOT DOCTORS...! SO UNTIL YOU HAVE SOME FACTS FROM PATIENTS, YEA PATIENTS....NOT SO CALLED FACTS FROM ONE OF DR. WOODS DOWN UNDER COMPETITORS THEN YOU NEED TO STOP TALKING OUT OF YOUR ASS...!

 

YOU ASKED IF WE COULD GIVE ONE GOOD REASON WHY DOCTORS WOULD CONSPIRE AGAINST DR. WOODS.....YEA IM SURE IF I HAD ENOUGH TIME I COULD GIVE YOU A HUNDRED...! BUT JUST TO NAME A FEW...

 

1. THEY FEEL STUPID THAT THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT A TECHNIQUE THAT ON ITS FACE APPEARS SO SIMPLE..!

 

2. THEY WOULD HAVE TO LEARN A NEW TECHNIQUE....WOW, HEAVEN FORBID THAT....! THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO EACH OF THEIR PATIENTS THAT THE STRIP EXCISION IS NOW A SECOND RATE HT AND WILL NOW HAVE TO CHARGE MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME ON THEIR PATIENTS WHEN PERFORMING A HT...WOW, WHAT DOCTOR WOULD WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. LET ME TELL YA, NOT TOO MANY, NOT TOO MANY AT ALL....!

 

3. THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RAPE 10-20 PATIENTS A WEEK AND SPEND A TOTAL OF ABOUT 3-4 HOURS ON EACH. THEY WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY WORKING ON THEIR PATIENT. AND THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR ASSISTANTS DO HALF THEIR WORK FOR THEM, WHICH AGAIN IN ABSURD...!

 

4. ALL THE MEDICAL JOURNALS THAT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN CONCERNING THE STRIP EXCISION WOULD BE A THING OF THE PAST. WHAT DOCTORS ARE GOING TO EMBRACE THAT...? NOT TOO MANY..!

 

5. I COULD GO ON... WHY THO, ITS CERTAINLY NOT ROCKET SCIENCE...!

 

AND AS FAR AS DR. WOODS TECHNIQUE LEAVING A PATIENT WITH HUNDREDS OF SCARS ON THE REAR OF

THEIR HEAD....DONT BE A MORON...!

 

NO SHIT, I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. IF I STUCK MYSELF WITH A NEEDLE A THOUSAND TIMES ALL OVER MY BODY WOULD THERE BE A SCAR...? OF COURSE, ANY TIME YOU BREAK THE SKIN THE BODY REPAIRS ITSELF LEAVING A SCAR. THE QUESTION IS NOT IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A SCAR....? THE QUESTION IS CAN YOU SEE IT...? AND WILL IT HEAL PROPERLY..? WITH DR. WOODS TECHNIQUE THAT IS NOT A QUESTION, AND IF IT WAS IM SURE WE WOULD HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT BY NOW FROM (1) OF HIS THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS.

 

PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING TO AUSTRALIA FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD (HELLO...! ARE PEOPLE TRAVELING TO YOUR CLINIC FROM AROUND THE WORLD...? I DON'T THINK SO), CONSIDERING HIS HT WILL COST ANYWHERE FROM $7,700 TO $50,000 IM SURE UNSATISFIED PATIENTS (IN ANY NUMBER) WOULD MAKE IT KNOW TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AND WOULD TELL US ALL HOW WE SHOULD SAVE OUR MONEY AND AVOID DR. WOODS....?

 

I'VE YET TO READ ONE POST LIKE THAT, YOU....?

 

READ THE POSTS...MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHAPPY AND COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SCAR ARE REFERRING TO THE DONOR AREA, NOT SCALP LIFTS OR REDUCTIONS.

 

OH, AND AS FAR AS THIS BEING YOUR LAST POST CONCERNING DR. WOODS...THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE IN YOUR BEST INTEREST, I MEAN YOU WOULDNT WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER PROCEDURE SUPERIOR TO YOURS.....IT MIGHT BE BAD FOR BUSINESS...!

 

AND ITS ALSO PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA NOT TO PLACE ANY MORE POSTS BECAUSE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, YOU SOUNDED LIKE AN IGNORANT, UNINFOMED, RUMOR SPEADING JACKASS....!

 

IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY.... SO WHO YOU KIDDEN? CERTAINLY NOT ME AND CERTAINLY NOT MOST OF THE OTHER READERS IN THIS DISCUSSION GROUP....!

~GNX...

 

 

[This message was edited by GNX on November 20, 2001 at 08:57 PM.]

[Guest]

GNX,

 

When is your surgery with Dr. Woods? Will you be posting photos?

[GNX]

MY SURGERY WONT BE FOR SOME TIME, I HAVE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY TO SAVE UP....BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURE THAT I WILL BE POSTING MY BEFORE, AFTER AND DURING PHOTOS... GOOD OR BAD! FROM ALL ANGLES, INCLUDING CLOSE UPS OF THE DONOR AREA.

 

I CUT MY HAIR VERY SHORT SO THERE WILL BE NO COMB OVERS...! WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT I'VE GOT IT WILL BE THE REAL DEAL...! UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL FOR INSPECTION FOR ALL...!

 

BUT LIKE I SAID, IT WILL BE A WHILE. SOME TIME NEXT YEAR I HOPE...?

 

~GNX...