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Recommendation/Repair


SteveIrwin

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I am looking for recommendations regarding surgeons who excel in repair work. I don't have a ton of donor site left, so I really need a true maestro now. Any help here would be greatly greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I am based in NYC, but am willing to travel.

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I am looking for recommendations regarding surgeons who excel in repair work. I don't have a ton of donor site left, so I really need a true maestro now. Any help here would be greatly greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I am based in NYC, but am willing to travel.

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  • Senior Member

Don't pick based on convenience. You were already disappointed once.

 

Spend a few weeks or a few months researching. Which doctors could legitmately be called the World's Best? Who has the best reputation for the work you need? Only a small number in any field can legitimately be called the best. There are not dozens of "best" hair transplant doctors, in my opinion, unless you use a loose definition of what the term Best means.

 

Read up and think things over. Become your own expert. Who looks like the best to you?

 

Pics are helpful, but only to a point. You have to see what the patient looked like before hand, too. Pics do not usually show all angles (respect the doctors who do). Some doctors have even put concealoers in patient's hair, to make the results look better. Some guys get good results from Propecia, adding to their hair transplant results. Don't base everything on pics.

 

Patient feedback is helpful to a point. But some patients gush over a doctor before their results are grown in. Some patients have lower standards than you. Some patients may not even be patients at all (who knows). Don't base everything on patient feedback, either.

 

The doctor's website may be helpful, to a point. You may get an idea of what the doctor's philosophy is. Does he concentrate mostly on sales, or mostly on patient education? But some docs do not put a lot of effort into their website, maybe they don't put a lot of stock in it, or haven't updated it for years. Don't base everything on the doctor's website...

 

Really, there are a bunch of things to sift through. Outside advice only goes so far.

 

I wish it was easy because there were lots of great doctors, which would make getting a great hair transplant easy. It's not like that, at all.

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Steve, I have to agree with Arfy on his reply to you. There are many things to consider before commiting yourself to a procedure. One of the purposes of this forum is to make you aware of the many pitfalls in the ht industry. I know it sounds redundant, but you need to research and research some more before making a decision. Good luck. Terry.

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I have done my research, but ask you guys because I am always interested to hear what other people think/say...I have done a ton of research, but like hearing from others because it makes feel even better about my decision...I have narrowed my choices to a couple, and just want to be reassured....hope that is okay...

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Steve, I have had over a dozen repair surgeries and I can't honestly tell you that there is a clear-cut path to take. Even for the first time patient, everybody is different, and if you are a repair patient than it adds another level of complexity, because who knows what you are dealing with repair-wise.

 

My list of "great" ones is very very short, it could be totally different than another guy's list. Just picking a great doctor does not mean it's all smooth sailing if you are needing corrective surgery. It is a hard path and success can be nebulous or elusive.

 

Finally, I try to never tell anyone which doctor to pick, because I don't want to feel responsible if everything didn't go as well as we all hope. Hair transplants are imperfect and none of the doctors are perfect, and then there is the issue of lowered expectations in the case of repair. Ultimately it is your decision, hopefully you can get some information here as grist for the mill but at the end of the day you're the one who has to decide. I would just research the hell out of this, really really deeply.

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My email address is in my profile, but I will email you now.

 

There are 2 basic schools of thought: surround the bad grafts with good grafts to disguise them, or remove the bad grafts and divide them up and recycle them. (or a combination of those together, based on the area of the head).

 

A lot of your strategy will be determined by how many bad grafts you have, where they are on your head, how much donor supply you have available, and how much (if any) natural hair you have left.

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Pics are helpful, but only to a point. You have to see what the patient looked like before hand, too. Pics do not usually show all angles (respect the doctors who do). Some doctors have even put concealoers in patient's hair, to make the results look better. Some guys get good results from Propecia, adding to their hair transplant results. Don't base everything on pics.

 

Patient feedback is helpful to a point. But some patients gush over a doctor before their results are grown in. Some patients have lower standards than you. Some patients may not even be patients at all (who knows). Don't base everything on patient feedback, either.

 

The doctor's website may be helpful, to a point. You may get an idea of what the doctor's philosophy is. Does he concentrate mostly on sales, or mostly on patient education? But some docs do not put a lot of effort into their website, maybe they don't put a lot of stock in it, or haven't updated it for years. Don't base everything on the doctor's website...

 

Arfy... that is a great synopsis and definitely explains why evaluating and eventually choosing a doc is so difficult and why waiting for the results is such a challenge. I can't even begin to recommend a doctor or a procedure until I see the results of my own HT.

 

You are a true veteran. We're lucky to have people like you, Terry and others who know there stuff. Thanks

If woman don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy -Steve Smith 'The Red Green Show'

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  • Senior Member
Patient feedback is helpful to a point. But some patients gush over a doctor before their results are grown in.

 

Steve, take Arfy's advice above when you consider what I have to say.

 

Dr. Haber, in Cleveland, did my Ht. He's recommended on this site although, you will not find any archived forums on him (only a recent one from me about cost.) That could be great news because no one is beating him up on this forum. His clientele seems to be centered around the Cleveland area. He doesn't advertise much or have consults pushing HT's for him. Bad news... you can't really find any news on him. I decided to go with him because I was comfortable with him. I felt as if my end results mattered more to him than they would to me, if that is at all possible. In otherwords, his results were his advertisement.

 

He was extrememly professional, knowledgable, and seemed to really listen to my concerns, answered my questions and provided good advice (maybe.)

 

That being said, I really don't know if I'm going to be happy with the results because I'm only two months and few days post-op. However, so far it seems to be going well. My new HT is already 1/2+ long. Seems to be coming in densely however, I do expect and hope that the density will improve. Hairline and density are the telling factors of a great HT. And, until I get to eight to twelve months post-op I really just don't have much to say about my results. Hopefully, I'm not going to be in your shoes at that point.

 

I know Dr. Haber has done many repair jobs because of photos I had seen in his office. It probably wouldn't hurt to choose to talk with him when you're evaluating doctors. But at this point... I will not make an recommendation on his behalf. In a years time, I would love to be able to.

 

My procedure is considered small 1600+ set by the standards of many of the members on this forum. Many have been receiving 2000+ graphs. Dr. Haber seemed a little conservative in this area. I am considering another procedure in the future to fill in the back. I guess by breaking it up in to a couple of sessions he felt he was empowering me to be able to make more decisions concerning my hair. That and he is going to get more money out of me. Well anyway, the most important part is done, now I get to choose were the next 1600 go. Hopefully, I'll have the option to lower my hairline, add more density, fill in the back, do some of each or the most unlikely scenario...be content where I'm at. Good luck with everything!

If woman don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy -Steve Smith 'The Red Green Show'

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  • Senior Member

Steve,

 

Here is the list of Coalition physicians located in New York. Simply click on the physician's picture to view his profile, contact info, and previous patient photos.

 

Dr. Haber is also a highly recommended Coalition physician in Ohio.

 

It is true that there are some clinics that get hyped up by their marketing and/or vocal patients on the internet and some that perform very refined, artistic surgery that do not get much patient feedback online.

 

Sometimes it seems to be a general consensus that if three or four posters posting in a thread have never heard of a physician that that physician is automatically not as good as another physician with more vocal patients. While I am whole-heartedly supportive of researching surgical hair restoration ad nauseum, I do feel that while geographic preference should never be a deciding factor, it is worth looking into a physician that is closer to you if he/she performs quality work.

 

-Robert

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

 

Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog

 

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Hey Robert...

 

I think you would have to agree that it is a little early for me to get on Dr. Haber's band wagon. However, I'm sure he doesn't need my recommendation either. There is a lot to be said for a Doctor who quietly receives a steady flow of patients, via past-patient referals.

 

It would however, be a good touchy feelly feeling to read about great results, of his, posted on this forum. Idea, to bad we couldn't get more info or hype on some of these lesser recogonized or less docomented "Top Coalition Surgeons."

 

Just a thought, when was Dr. Haber and others reviewed by Pat. (Pat, I saw that you reviewed others in Florida recently.) Is this process done yearly or is it a one time deal where they get the endorsement and are not under review again until you recieve some bad or unfavorable feed back. If this process is explained else where, I apoligize in advance for not taking the time to look it up. ~zerro

If woman don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy -Steve Smith 'The Red Green Show'

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  • Regular Member

Steve- My suggestion on finding a top surgeon is to go through the photos they provide on their website, then consider making a consultation appointment with one or two of them. Ask to speak with one or more of that doctor's patients, and find out just how many reparative procedures the surgeon performs every week.

 

Most patients in your situation will feel that it is worthwhile to travel if necessary, however right in NYC you do have not only myself, but also Dr. Bernstein who is a respected colleague.

 

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS

Foundation for Hair Restoration

Miami and NYC

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