3rd HT after 2 unsucessful attempts.

[Its_Going_Fast]

Hey folks - I've got a huge dilemma and I need your help. I'm nearly 25 years old and losing hair badly and have been since I was in my teens. When I was 21, I was placing a Norwood II, and I had my first procedure with Dr Giannotto for nearly 1500 grafts. A year later when the hair had receded even more and the Dr. advised me that I needed a 2nd one to pack in the density, I went ahead and got another one - nearly 2500 grafts this time. It's now been 12 months post op and I have yet to see the results I expected after 4000 grafts. I'm currently a Norwood V.

 

Now here's my problem. I spoke with Dr G. again and complained about the results and he said that he would perform another surgery (most likely at no charge to me) to correct the work and hopefully fill in the spots. My question to you all is, is that advisable? I've consulted other doctors as well and have considered getting work done from them, but my only incentive now is that the work will be done free as opposed to me dishing out another few grand.

 

My surgery is tentatively scheduled for the end of this month, but I would love to hear back from some of you with pointers.

 

Also, I was considering buzzing my hair before the surgery to prevent shock loss and so that all of the bald spots would be very visible? Is that advisable? How short should I buzz it so that it does not look awkward? Please take a look over some pix and let me know - I really need the advice. Thanks!

[notgoing2gobald]

EDIT----

WAIT- Im a little unclear about the procedure not meeting your expectations and the hair line receding after your first procedure.

Did your hair recede where the doc had placed grafts or were the grafts placed in a different location?

Are you a diffused thinner?

It's possible that you had additional native hair loss while you have been waiting for the second procedure to grow in.

If you in fact have had about 4,000 grafts moved, then (sorry to say it) but you probably only have another 3-5K left at best.

 

While money is important it is dispensable,

your donor hair is NOT.

 

Given your circumstances you really have to hit this next ht out of the park.

 

I would do tons of research

Get multiple consultations/opinions

Then make your decision as to who the best doc is to suit your purposes and repair.

 

Also, your pictures are not attached. I don't want to immediately point blame at the doc, but 4K grafts is not chump change on a NWV.

Did you have loss in the crown as well?

It would really help to see some pics.

Are you on any meds?

I have never heard of your doc, but H&W and Feller do great work.

[nobuzz4me]

I have not heard good things about Giannato. Check out DR. Lindsey - he is in the same area as Giannato. At least get another opinion from another Doc, since you have not had great results from your current.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Its_Going_Fast,

 

Research is the key to ensure a successful hair transplant. Whereas I don't know much about Dr. Giannotto, if you feel that you have not gotten the expected hair growth, I'd encourage you to at least consult with other physicians for a second opinion. After all, the donor supply is finite and it's important to use it wisely.

 

I'd consider also consulting with Dr. Vogel of Maryland who is an elite member of the Coalition for producing consistent and positive results.

 

Be sure to use the "find" feature of this forum in order to research any physician you are considering.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Janna]

I don't see your pictures either. It's hard to determine if your two prior surgeries are successful or not without being able to see before each of your transplants and current pics.

[wylie]

If you are not pleased with the results of two previous surgeries, do not get free work done, its likely to worsen the situation and surely wont help. You need to consult with other Dr's and stop seeing this guy.

 

Dont consider future work with someone who has failed the previous last two attempts to meet your expectations. And if that is the case you are now trying to repair something. So dont make it any worse

[thanatopsis_awry]

From what I understand, Giannotto is putrid; also, a 21 year old NW2 prolly' shouldn't be getting a FUT procedure to begin with. Nonetheless, what's done is done and it is great you've found this site.

 

As mentioned already, I would definitely consult w/ Vogel and Lindsey; and I would most definitely NOT return to Giannotto....again, this *is* speculation (albeit logical speculation) w/o pics, but that you feel your 4k didn't go to good use I'd have to think is likely related in part to the poor work of Giannotto.

 

However, it isn't like you got plugs, so if you move foward now making good decisions you're putting yourself in a good, overall spot.

 

The thing w/ bad docs is twofold -- you can't trust the quality of their work itself, and you can't trust their judgement in how they go about applying their work (graft estimates, aggressiveness, judiciously working on only GOOD candidates, etc.). This is why even a consultation with a poor clinic is beyond worthless as you can't (unfortunately) even trust the word of many doctors, let alone their work.

[MrJobi]

If you keep doing the same thing chances are you will get the same result.

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by Its_Going_Fast:

Hey folks - I've got a huge dilemma and I need your help. I'm nearly 25 years old and losing hair badly and have been since I was in my teens. When I was 21, I was placing a Norwood II, and I had my first procedure with Dr Giannotto for nearly 1500 grafts. A year later when the hair had receded even more and the Dr. advised me that I needed a 2nd one to pack in the density, I went ahead and got another one - nearly 2500 grafts this time. It's now been 12 months post op and I have yet to see the results I expected after 4000 grafts. I'm currently a Norwood V.

 

Now here's my problem. I spoke with Dr G. again and complained about the results and he said that he would perform another surgery (most likely at no charge to me) to correct the work and hopefully fill in the spots. My question to you all is, is that advisable? I've consulted other doctors as well and have considered getting work done from them, but my only incentive now is that the work will be done free as opposed to me dishing out another few grand.

 

My surgery is tentatively scheduled for the end of this month, but I would love to hear back from some of you with pointers.

 

Also, I was considering buzzing my hair before the surgery to prevent shock loss and so that all of the bald spots would be very visible? Is that advisable? How short should I buzz it so that it does not look awkward? Please take a look over some pix and let me know - I really need the advice. Thanks!

 

Go to a couple of different docs (good ones, and perhaps a couple of attorneys). In lieu of the free work, try to at least get some or all of your money back.

 

I'm just assuming you got a bad ht, as the others have said, another consult with someone who is trained would be ideal.

[sapmesq]

Do not go back to Dr. Richard Giannotto. I did not have a good experience with him in the mid- late 1990's. He really tells you what you want to hear, but results do not really deliver. I had somewhere in the ballpark of 1500 with him over 3 visits and they did not look very natural at all. Plus I was left with 2 separated step ladder bad scarring in the back. Quite frankly, I got a hard sell from them back in the day. I went for a consultation, and was actually considering not going through with the procedure. His office staff kept calling me with specials, threw in an offer of a limo ride to and from the clinic and "to close the deal" he even offered to do a scalp reduction for free. That moved me off the fence to going through with the procedure. Little did I know that it would be a long, arduous, and expensive journey filled with false promises and expectations. My experience with him chewed up almost 3 years of my prime years in my 20's. Not once was I ever warned of risks from Dr. G. The scalp reduction was worthless -- it simply stretched back after a few months and left me with a scar.

 

Finally, I went to Dr. Richard Bernstein for corrective work (approximately 3000 grafts) and he was magnificent. He eliminated the scarring, took out the unnatural looking clumps in the front, crown and temples, chopped them up into small 1 hair units and crafted a corrected soft, natural hairline. I was fortunate to have had enough donor hair to accomodate a positive corrected result. I now look like a normal 40 year old man with a natural receding hairlines and thin crown. I can cut my hair down in a "Caeser" cut with a number 3 clipper and my work is undetectable. This was never possible with the mess Dr. G. made of my head.

 

I would strongly recommend that you make the effort to see someone else. Take the train to see Dr. Bernstein in NYC -- it is worth the trip and expense. You don't want to continue to screw around with this. You only have a finite number of hairs for transplant once you start the process. I wish I had never started the process. I was leaning toward simply buzz cutting my hair down (I wish I could) and feel like I was cajoled into this by Dr. Dr. Richard Giannotto and his staff. Thank God for men like Dr. Bernstein. He really gave me my life back. I wish I did not have to see him and spend more money to correct the issues -- but that man was worth every penny.

[HTInitiate]

From what you have posted - After two failed attempts (100 % failure), I would request Dr. Giannato to return my money back, so that I can have it corrected by a capable doctor. Can you handle another failure ?