Considering H/T with True/Dorin, but have some concerns, please help

[mankind]

I am considering a hair transplant with Dr. Dorin of True and Dorin for my receding hairline (by the way, it only says "Dorin, D.O." on their forms, does that mean he's not a certified doctor or certified by the ABHRS, like Dr. True?). I really do want the transplant, but it's just such a major decision that it's pretty scary (I'm spending a lot of time stressing out about it). Dr. Dorin said that the transplanted density would be about 35/cm2, which he said is only one third of natural density. Will that still look good? I saw L'Anonyme's pictures and after his first transplant the recipient area looked pretty thin. L'Anonyme also said that the scar didn't heal properly and that many grafts didn't grow... I'm really scared that I might get the surgery, waste a lot of money, and won't really get much in return except for a scar and an unnatural and/or bad-looking hairline... Any thoughts/comments will be much appreciated. Thank you.

[mankind]

I am considering a hair transplant with Dr. Dorin of True and Dorin for my receding hairline (by the way, it only says "Dorin, D.O." on their forms, does that mean he's not a certified doctor or certified by the ABHRS, like Dr. True?). I really do want the transplant, but it's just such a major decision that it's pretty scary (I'm spending a lot of time stressing out about it). Dr. Dorin said that the transplanted density would be about 35/cm2, which he said is only one third of natural density. Will that still look good? I saw L'Anonyme's pictures and after his first transplant the recipient area looked pretty thin. L'Anonyme also said that the scar didn't heal properly and that many grafts didn't grow... I'm really scared that I might get the surgery, waste a lot of money, and won't really get much in return except for a scar and an unnatural and/or bad-looking hairline... Any thoughts/comments will be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Bill - Seemiller]

mankind,

 

This is a question that has come up quite a lot recently. The answer lies in understanding the similarities and differences between an MD and a DO. Let me be clear up front, both undergo extensive training and can be qualified to perform hair transplant surgery. Many elite doctors including Dr. Dorin are DOs.

 

Posted below from another forum member:

 

-------

 

DO vs. MD

 

If you are like most people, you probably don't know the difference between a medical doctor, MD, and an osteopathic doctor, DO.

 

DOs and MDs are alike in many ways:

 

Applicants to both DO and MD colleges typically have a four-year undergraduate degree with an emphasis on science courses.

 

Both DOs and MDs complete four years of basic medical education.

 

After medical school, both DOs and MDs can choose to practice in a specialty area of medicine"???such as psychiatry, surgery, obstetrics, or sports medicine"???after completing a residency program (typically two to six years of additional training).

 

Both DOs and MDs must pass comparable state licensing examinations.

 

DOs and MDs both practice in fully accredited and licensed hospitals and medical centers.

 

Both are medical doctors; MD is specifically Doctor of Medicine and DO is Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.

 

I trained in a DO hospital which had both MD and DO attending physicians.

 

My internist is a D.O. and my allergist is an MD.

 

-------------

 

Also, ABHRS certification, though certainly a valuable educational accomplishment does not necessarily equate to being a first-rate surgeon yielding consistent results. There are a number of ABHRS board certified diplomates that would never meet our high level of standards to be recommended here. On the flip side, there are a number of world class surgeons who are not ABHRS certified.

 

I posted information on the ABHRS recently and is worthy of a read. Be sure however, to read the entire thread and all comments made as they are important and valuable points. Read more about the ABHRS.

 

My advice would be to consult with Dr. Dorin and talk to a number of his patients (not just one). I have seen some of his work and it's been quite impressive.

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

I had 3 HT's with Dr. True and had a great experience and result.

 

I highly recommend him and Dr. Dorin

[mankind]

Thanks for the answers.

 

Bill, why did you choose Hasson & Wong instead of T/D for your hair transplant following the one you had done by T/D?

And how do I find patients to talk to?

 

Jobi, why did you have three procedures?

Remember that one of my concerns is lackluster density that would force me to come back for a second procedure...

 

Can anyone tell me whether 35FUs/cm2 is enough density?

 

And what are the odds of the same thing that happened to L'Anonyme happening to me? (i.e. that many grafts don't grow and that the result is mediocre at best)

[MrJobi]

I took 3 procedure due to a couple reasons

 

1- financial

2- donor laxity

3- NEEDED to keep it concealed ( no shaving)

4- Dr. True took a conservative approach

 

The end result is magnificent.

 

As far as needed more than 1 procedure, what is your hairloss situation?? Not many people get by with 1 procedure.

 

If you go to a top coalition doctor your chances for a good result are extremely high

[mankind]

Jobi, I have a receding hairline.

My question was why you had to have more than one procedure. Was it because density after the first one was too low? And why wouldn't one procedure be enough to fix a receding hairline?

[MrJobi]

Without photos we cannot speculate on how many grafts you would need.

 

- How far have you receded?

- size of your head?

- Quality of donor hair?

- Are you thin or bald?

 

Too many factors to consider. The reason why I had to have three is I was a Norwood 5V. 5000 grafts did it for me and although some docs can do that, I do not think you could do thatinone HT with my laxity as well as the items I listed above (plus it was 3 years ago).

 

Hair transplantation is not a cookie cutter process. There are too many factors ( and the doctors style) to consider.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Bill, why did you choose Hasson & Wong instead of T/D for your hair transplant following the one you had done by T/D?

 

Ultimately, I wanted the largest session possible for my third surgery and Dr. Hasson is known for being king of megasessions.

 

I was pleased however, with Dr. True's work.

 

Bill

[L'Anonyme]

Since most people can only seem to bitch about the quality of my pics instead of commenting on or inquiring about the specifics of my case, let me just clarify for "mankind" that yes, I think the results of my first procedure were disappointing. Too many 2-hair grafts in the hairline (aren't any too many?), a stitch that didn't get taken out on the far right side of the scar which created a small imperfection, and some poor growth on the right side and central portion of the hairline. These problems were addressed in the second session--the 2-hair grafts were FUE'd out, the scar revised, and grafts added. Things have turned out well now that it's almost a year later, but there were problems along the way. Not all of these cases are homeruns, but I will say that True/Dorin was attentive and responsive to my concerns. If "mankind" feels any sense of doubt about a doctor he is considering for whatever reason, I'd recommend that he look hard and keep researching until he finds someone he feels comfortable with.

[agentHarley]

Bill,

 

I made a note for my records about Hasson being "king of megasessions".

 

Do you think there is a correlation between age and graft count? In other words, the younger the patient, the more (or fewer?) grafts he should consider for 2nd/3rd HTs?

 

aH

[mankind]

L'Anonyme, I did not mean to offend you in any way. I think your results turned out very nicely after your second procedure. The reason why I'm scared of a mediocre result is that I won't be able to have a second procedure for quite some time. Please accept my apologies if you felt attacked in any way. Would you mind answering the questions I posed in the message I sent you? I.e. was the scar noticeable (how big exactly?) and did you think you looked better or worse after your first procedure and did the results look natural or unnatural? Did True and Dorin charge you for your second procedure or did they at least give you a significant discount?

Again, I don't mean to "bitch" or complain about any particular doctor. I'm just scared of the possibility of looking worse after HT surgery without being able to remedy the situation and without being able to shave my head because of visible scarring. Please be understanding.

[thanatopsis_awry]

Mankind, since you're having some doubts (of which MANY have had), I would approach it as follows:

 

Compare the session that Dr. Dorin has recommended for you with patients who have had similiar states of hairloss and received similiar graft totals....if possible also look at an example from Dr. Dorin himself.

 

Doing the same thing, contrast this graft quote and the results that you are realistically looking at achieving with the prognosis of another doctor (or two). And see which you feel most comfortable with and go with whomever that happens to be.

 

You also may want to inquire to each doctor as to how he has come to his prognosis, as opposed to Prognosis Y.

[mankind]

Thanks, thanatopsis!

How would I go about finding such patients? It seems that if you ask your doctor, he'll only point you to his success stories, no?

[thanatopsis_awry]

Well, assuming he is a great doc, he will also be quite consistent -- and ethical, of course....so, if he showed you some good comparison photos, I don't think you'd have to worry so much about the said photos being an....aberration to the norm...in fact, it should give you a very good idea about what YOU could expect from HIM...!

 

Otherwise, browse these forums; run a search for different session sizes; and/or check out the main HTN page and you can find a place where it breaks down a whole host of examples of before/afters for varyin session sizes....your best bet, though, is looking at the incredibly clear, detailed pictures like the ones that often get posted on this forum, or that the doctor himself can show you.

 

You can never tell FOR SURE how your session will turn out; however, with enough research...and the right type of research and answers...I do beleive you can achieve a very sound idea of what you can expect, what you are in for, and then you can determine whether you think it is worth it, and what path to take.

[L'Anonyme]

"Mankind", no offense taken whatsoever, my friend, and sorry I haven't gotten to your private message yet. I'll answer your questions here if that's OK. The scar problem was not noticeable at all; we're talking maybe half an inch at most where a subcuteous stitch came to the surface about 2 months after the first procedure and no hair grew through the scar, which was a little wider than the rest of the line. The scar is much better now, though I still don't see hair growing through it in certain places--that's not abnormal, though, with trichophytic closures. I do think I looked better after the first procedure, but the work obviously wasn't complete. Had I only done the one procedure I wouldn't have been happy with the result. It's kind of like the proper area had been outlined for the most part, but there was still a lot of shading to do, and the number of 2-hair grafts was an indication to me that something had gone wrong. I _was_ charged for the second procedure but received 200 grafts free b/c of the growth problems from #1. I'd estimate that at least that many didn't grow, but obviously it's impossible to quantify at this point. Given a procedure of only 1150 grafts, however, those aren't great numbers. Add to that fact that I was the only case for the day (Dr. True routinely does two a day), and it's my opinion that I didn't exactly receive T/D's best work on that day. If you want to be happy with a one-and-done kind of approach, you need to research and find somebody who can do really dense packing and only needs to go over an area of scalp once before addressing other areas with subsequent procedures (should you need them).

[Bp1]

Had a hair transplant 1/14/08 with Dr. Dorin. He is a great guy and so far I am very pleased with the progress. I would recommend Dr. Dorin to anyone.

[mankind]

Thanks for the replies.

Bp1, could you tell me more about your procedure? What are the results like? Do you have pictures?

[Bill - Seemiller]

Bill,

 

I made a note for my records about Hasson being "king of megasessions".

 

Do you think there is a correlation between age and graft count? In other words, the younger the patient, the more (or fewer?) grafts he should consider for 2nd/3rd HTs?

 

aH

 

LOL AH.

 

I think each situation depends on the patient and age certainly plays a roll. In my opinion, doctors should proceed more conservatively with younger patients in order to plan for the unpredictable and progressive nature of hair loss. Those who experience aggressive hair loss early are at higher risk of becoming a level 6 or 7 on the norwood scale.

 

Larger ultra-megasessions (assuming available donor hair) are better suited for somewhat older patients with higher levels of patients. Of course "older" is relative and again, age is only one factor to consider.

 

Bill

[agentHarley]

Bill,

 

Most insightful answer, my man. I see the logic in what you are saying about a gradual response to any balding/hair loss progression in a patient.

 

Meaning, by starting out with fewer grafts in the first HT, a 30-something patient can 1) retain more native hairs in the donor area for future HT procedures as necessary/desired; and 2) create gradual results that are appropriate for one's age group (for instance, a 50 year old man with a head of hair like a 38 year old.

 

--aH