Help Needed on Reviews

[HairSeeker]

Hi Guys,

 

I'm new to this forum, 26 years old and living in Seattle.

I'm planning to have a HT in a month or so. (Before I lose the rest of my hair) But till now, I have not chosen a physician and I need your help and feedback on the following doctors in Seattle area:

- Dr. Brian O. Goertz

- Dr. E. Antonio Mangubat

- Dr. Daniel Berg

I have seen only Dr. Brian Goertz, he is a nice person. But for me, good personality doesn't always imply good quality in work. He suggested that I take 1,800 grafts for $ 8,200. I don't know if this is a good price or not. I actually have no experience in the HT thing what so ever, but it seems a bit expensive!!

And I have another appointment with Dr. Antonio Mangubat and will meet him today. But I'm really confused and don't know if I should also schedule another appointment with the third guy.

I know many of you guys would recommend Hasson & Wong in Vancouver. But for me, I can't leave the states and go to Canada for about 1 year from now (Visa Issues). So, Hasson & Wong is out of the scope.

Please let me know if any of you guys have any experience with any of the above three physicians, and how was it?

I have decided to do the HT before the end of the year, no matter what, because I started feeling really bad about the way my hair is all gone. But at the same time, I would really appreciate your help guys if you assist me in choosing the right doctor. Which one of the three should I go with??

[Byehair]

You are going to get quite a few responses telling you to do your homework a bit longer before making such a big decision.

If your hair is all gone which you claim, 1,800 grafts isn't going to make much of a difference.

Show us some photos.

You should consider Stephen Gabel out of Portland as well. He does good work for a fair price.

[lorenzo]

Hairseeker good for you researching before making a decision. Choose wisely and take your time. There is only one thing worse than going bald that is getting an unnatural transplant. What kind of hairloss do you have?

[the B spot]

If you do not want to travel, then I recommend Dr. Gabel--- His work is excellent and his pricing is a bit lower that you were quoted.

 

You can do a search on his results on this site, which is more than you will find for the other docs you mentioned.

 

I have been on this board for quite some time now and it is my experience that any poster that mentions one of the specific doctors you have listed usually ends up overly defensive and is called a shill.

 

Do yourself a favor, Dr. Gabel does excellent work, is fairly priced and is an all around good guy.

 

Check him out FIRST before you do anything.

 

Take Care,

Jason

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Good choice would be Gabel

[Bill - Seemiller]

HairSeeker,

 

I agree that Dr. Gabel would be an excellent choice. His work his ultra refined and his patient care is second to none.

 

Be sure to use the "find" feature of this forum to see what his patients are saying and see some of his results.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[HairSeeker]

Thanks guys for all replies.

 

I will post some photos of me soon. and I'll tell you the details of what happened at Dr. Mangubat's clinic today.

[arlingsten]

I just saw your post and felt compelled to reply. Although you already have had 1 procedure done by Mangubat (M), you still can gain from my advice. I am a former patient of M and my advice is whatever you do, DO NOT go to M for any more procedures!!!!

 

I was also in my mid 20s when I signed up as M's patient. He suggested that I get 3-4 transplant sessions and 1-2 Scalp reduction surgeries (called 'Brandy' procedures after Dr. Dominic Brandy http://www.brandymd.com/ ). The worst decision I ever made in my life was to follow M's advice and have these procedures done. M left me SCARRED and DISFIGURED!!!!

 

I know this sounds unreal, but next time you see M, ask him about the 'Brandy' scalp reduction procedure and ask to see before/after photos of Brandy procedures. If he dismisses your request (says you don't need a Brandy) and refuses to show photos, ask yourself why is M refusing to show his own work? Is he hiding something? If you get to see the photos, look closely (even though he'll show a small Polaroid pics) and you'll notice a thick straight or horseshoe-shaped scar ?? - ?? inch from 1 temple to the crown and back to the other temple with no hair growing there. M left me with such a horrible scar and I've undergone numerous reconstructive surgeries, spending over $20K, to reduce the scars.

 

Although M may not do a Brandy on you, I mention this procedure for this reason: what does the Doctor care about most: your welfare and your well being OR the money he'll make from you?? In my case, without a doubt M only cared about his money! Otherwise he would have stopped himself from doing what he did to me, particularly the 2 Brandy procedures. He didn't know what he was doing and he didn't care! So he's definitely NOT a doctor to be in the care of!

 

You should also ask M about the scar in the back of your head (the donor area)? M told me about all my scars that they will eventually 'blend' with the surrounding skin and look much less prominent. That is a COMPLETE LIE!!! The scars will be with you for life with no hairs growing in that area ever.

 

I know you're very concerned and feel down about losing your hair. I felt the same way starting at 18 when it began for me. However, you don't have to go through what I went through with M! Not to mention forking over your savings to M!

 

A few pieces of advice for you:

 

1. The before/after pictures that Hair Transplant surgeons show you LIE because:

- The docs only show their best top 5% patients, and don't show you the average result or, as in my case, the bad results.

- The photos are typically low resolution, so may not clearly show the hairline or may be in low light, thereby concealing the thin density and unnatural look of the transplants.

 

2. Note that the following is based on my own experience and not medical advice:

-------

Regarding your hair loss, my advice is don't go for hair transplants. Instead, if you still have quite a bit of hair left, make an appointment with your family physician (NOT Mangubat!) asap and ask him/her about taking Avodart for stopping hairloss.

 

Apart from Avodart, the other 2 best known medications (minoxidol) and propecia are not as effective as Avodart which stops both kinds of DHT (the hormone that causes hairloss). Minoxidol is waste of money for most people since it only works for a few people and Propecia is good (because it blocks 1 kind of DHT) but not as good as Avodart. Avodart will not regrow any new hair but it will let you keep the hair you have. Also, although both Propecia and Avodart have potential harmful side effects (e.g. reduced sex drive), I have been taking Avodart for the past 2+ years with no side effects.

--------

 

If I could do it over again, I would have NEVER trusted M and NEVER let M lay a hand on me. Instead, I would have just accepted my baldness and not done any hair transplants. I would instead have shaved my head while we wait for a cure.

 

Unfortunately, M left me with huge scars on my head and so I can't just shave my head. Instead I'm forced to wear concealers to hide the ugly scars on my head. You don't have to go through what I've been through! I would have also started on Avodart long ago, thereby keeping more of my own hair

 

Although the idea of being thin on top may not sound appealing, there is new hope for a cure. I've been following 2 companies (http://www.intercytex.com/icx/products/aesthetic/icxtrc/ and http://www.follicabio.com/) that may soon have the answer for us.

 

FYI, for any cynical readers out there, I am in no way associated with either company and will not profit even 1 dollar if these companies succeed. Also, neither of these companies currently have a commercially viable product, so obviously I can't recommend that you spend your money on their products.

 

Best of luck to you!

[lost my swagger]

arlingsten-- im very sorry that you have gone through such hell and that you have been scarred.. have you or do you plan to have corrective surgery in your future? all the best man.

[arlingsten]

lost my swagger, Thanks for your kind words. It has been pure hell the past few years. I have undergone several reconstructive cosmetic surgeries to make the scars smaller and much less noticeable. I look a lot better now than I looked right after M did his work on me. However, I still have a huge 6 inch by 1 inch scar in the back from ear to ear. I will need at least 3-4 more surgical procedures to shrink this huge scar, and for now I conceal it by using cover-ups (dermmatch.com).

 

Regarding Mangubat, I did a few quick searches and found him in his own words praising the 'benefits' of scalp reduction surgery (see below). This kind of surgery (the Brandy procedure) is what left me totally scarred and disfigured!! So much for the 'benefits'!!

 

As others have pointed out in this website, Brandy was sued and paid $400,000 in damages in part for performing the 'Brandy' scalp reduction procedure:

 

http://community.seattletimes....9960915&slug=2349352

 

M's own words speak volumes on his incompetence and the fact that he's clueless and oblivious to the harm he's done to many like me. Here are the links:

 

http://www.regrowth.com/hairlo...998/ashrs_monday.cfm

 

The Rise and Fall of Scalp Flaps, Reductions and Lifts

 

Tony Mangubat of Seattle, WA is one of the leading doctors performing scalp reductions. "I've noticed in the Seattle area over the last two years a fall in the area of scalp reductions... I was a little disappointed in it, and I was almost upset until I started looking at it in a more objective way... the answer to this question becomes very clear." Dr.Mangubat outlined his feelings on reductions and why he thinks the number of doctors performing the procedure has decreased. "We want fast results, we want a home run.. Managed care has caused an influx of newcomers. The fact is I make more income off of hair transplants than scalp lifting, so from a financial point of view maybe it's not such a bad idea..." The fall has been precipitated by an influx of newcomers due to doctors who are earning less due to managed care and HMOs. "These are all victims of our new managed care society," said Dr. Mangubat. Doctors coming in have been resistent to learning reductions, flaps, and lifts due to the steeper learning curve, greater risks, and marketing against reductions. The number of doctors performing are remaining steady, but the number of doctors coming into transplants are growing, so the overall percentage are lower.

 

 

http://www.regrowth.com/hairlo.../whs_1996_review.cfm

 

'a Brandy-style scalp lift with preservation of the occipital neurovascular bundle by Dr. Tony Mangubat, with assistance from Dr. Carlos Puig;

[NeedUrgentHelp]

Try Dr. Robert Niedbalski in Tacoma WA. I had a few consultations with him and he seems real personable. Go check him out and see what you think. Give us an update!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Needurgenthelp,

 

I personally would like to know more about this doctor. I had tried to reach out to him a few months back in order to learn more about him however, I never heard back. It's possible that my email got caught in his spam folder. But it would be nice to have a solid recommendation in Washington. DOS, if you do speak to him, tell him to contact me so that we can learn more.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[esrec]

Needurgenthelp,

 

I personally would like to know more about this doctor. I had tried to reach out to him a few months back in order to learn more about him however, I never heard back. It's possible that my email got caught in his spam folder. But it would be nice to have a solid recommendation in Washington. DOS, if you do speak to him, tell him to contact me so that we can learn more.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

 

Hey Bill, another thread just below this one claiming some very poor results from this doc as FYI.

[NeedUrgentHelp]

what thread??