My second HT with Transmed in Turkey

[Mop]

I am nearly three weeks since my second HT with Transmed in Turkey. This time I received 1960 grafts mainly to the frontal area and some to the crown to add some more density to the HT I had last May. This time round it was Dr Melike Kulahci who preformed the operation.

 

So much easier the second time round, you know the clinic and its Doctors, prep for travelling to a foreign country, the procedure, what to expect and much of the fear factor is gone.

 

As last time, I was very well looked after by Transmed. My flight was delayed almost 4 hours, yet their driver waited all that time for me at the airport. Transportation from and to the airport and clinics was taken care of by the Clinic. I chose a decent hotel this time and did not go down the bargain tourist route ! Comfort is important.

 

On the day, I met Taner and we chatted about football and even this website ( if you want to get on his good side , you have to say good things about Besiktas Football Club, and don’t mention Fenerbache or Galatasaray ! ). I had my consultation with Dr Melike.

 

Then it was off to the surgery room where I was met by Dr Melike and around 8 nurses. An all female team ( no complaints from me ! ). I guess half helped with the graft extraction from the strip and the rest did the placement. Dr Melike did the strip extraction, closure and preparation of donor sites, she has a very gentle way and the application of anaesthetic did not hurt so much this time round . As usual I watched TV but so relaxed about the whole thing, I was dozing quite abit. In between, I had plenty of drinks and offer of snacks. Then I got my lotions and medicines and back to the hotel. I asked Transmed not to shave my existing hair,which I guess they would have prefered to, as concealment was important to me. It took them longer, but they went along with my wishes - which is what you would expect from a proffesional clinic.

 

Next day, they did the first wash and went over all my medications and procedures and it was back home. They give an excellent lotion to soften scabs and 95% came off day 7 and day 8. Perhaps it was a smaller procedure ( 3172 grafts last year ) this time round but I had very little swelling and very little numbness. They told me to remove the staples at day 15 as healing takes longer second time round. I bought a staple remover on ebay and my wife did them in 5 mins.

 

I always get some stick for not putting up photos, so I took some before I went and they represent the outcome of my first HT at the 12 month point. That’s my next job.

 

You would not go back and spend your money if you were less than happy. My first HT went along what were my expectations for the degree of hair loss I had, the second was about refinement and adding density and if what I can see grows like the first one, then I will be very happy.

Edited June 5, 2010 by Mop

[Albion71]

Your post echoes my own experience very closely last week.

 

Interested to hear that you went back there for a second op. That is my plan, assuming this HT (my first) goes ok.

 

I did ask Dr Melike whether I needed the recipient area to be shaved, and she pretty much said 'yes' - so it's intersting that they accommodated you in that respect. Perhaps I should have been more insistent - though the view elsewhere on this forum is that a shaven recipient area makes the surgeon's life easier, which I thought it best to go along with.

 

However, with hindsight, I think I would have shaved the whole of my head to about a grade 3 or 4, as it would look more natural once the scabs have fallen out.

 

I didn't realise that Taner was Besiktas - the driver was Fenerbache!

[HunkyMonkey]

MOP - a bit more stick for you! When can we see some photos

 

Glad to hear things keep improving for you. I'm temped to go back for a touch up, seems pretty standard no matter which clinic you go to. I wouldn't need much at all, a few hundred tops, just a few in the HT scar and I've had a birthmark removed which could do with a few hairs in it's scar. People have been telling me I really don't need to though, looking at the pre-op pictures in my blog, I can see what they mean.