Balding again ??? [16th month post-op, transplant @ H/W]

[Topcat611]

D, I would add that of course clinics like to post their best results. But H & W happens to be one of the few clinics that posts many very realisic results that are not necessarily always the cream of the crop.

 

I would like to also say that I have only seen one NW 5/6 in person that didn't look like he had any work done and that was Stephen who had his work done by Dr. Bisanga. It was impossible for me to tell even up very close. He does cut his hair very short. I guess that would be a #1 or 2 guard.

 

The biggest give away in my opinion is a person with a very shiny scalp that has had work done. It stands out like a sore thumb and is very noticeable at least to me.

 

You also have to take into consideration donor density, area being covered, hair thickness, hair color and the contrasting effect with the skin, hair waviness and placement of the hairline. Prospective patients should be aware of how everything will affect their end result, then they can make a decision with realistic expectations.

[Danielkiwi]

yes topcat..you are def right

 

i am thinking from this patients perspective..he had to go through an ordeal of 4600 grafts that prob cost him over $20,000 and still has a diffused thinner look...It is easy for us to say that he is better off than before as he has more hair...but imo, he is worst off then before as it appears that he was not made aware of this and cannot even keep his hair really short due to the scar!!

 

Honestly, what purpose would a diffuses look solve..people will still think about you as a bald/balding individual

[Cant decide]

I have to toally disagree. He looks miles better even with the thinner hair on top. Framing the face is key and has a dramatic effect on anyone with essentially no hair line to begin with. As far as not being able to cut the hair short. Not sure how short you are talking about but most good surgeons can get a scar small enough to justify at least a #4 clip which is pretty short.

 

I will say that I think more HT patients who achieve a thinning look would serve themsleves better by cutting their hair alot shorter.

[K_2009]

Wow, I thought the thread is wrapping up. Thanks for your comments.

 

Personally' date=' I think this is far from a failed TP. ..... I would do one more procedure of say 3000 grafts putting about 1000 on top for more density and the remaining 2000 to give the crown some coverage. After that, I would move on. Again, I think the result is decent and you look good.

 

Congrats and Good Luck[/quote']

 

Thanks CD. Cant do a 2nd procedure, no money left :-( Also, wify wants to go touring the world than to spend one more year waiting for the hair to grow. LoL.

 

....To me those two results posted above are no less than deceptive advertising!! To make it more clear, let me explain

 

Why do clinics only post above average results that draws people into HT's...I am sure that this patient would have sent his photographs to H&W prior to posting on the forum. If the clinic in question is a truly ethical and realistic clinic, why didnt they post these pictures on the forum before the patient did? ....

 

....Now, if we run a search on any of the forums, would you even see 10% of those surgeries..i know clinics have the excuse that patient do not send regular updates etc, but you guys tell me...what patient will not send their final pictures to the clinic to get an asessment even more when the procedure does not give the optimum result?....

 

Hence, to me posting these home run results that may be aided by meds, patient characteristics etc is no less than deceptive advertising!!!

 

If anybody else has any comment, please feel free to add

 

HI DW,

I dont know if I should go as far as calling those two as 'deceptive advertising'. To me those are probably the 'best-case' scenarios. Realistically, no clinic would put lesser cases at the storefront.

 

I think, I need to make a correction to your comment. H/W asked my permission to post pics and I decided to post those myself in the forum. This is simply a privacy issue. Therefore, my picture is not there in the website. I dont know about other patients' pics, but I am confident those were posted under mutual aggreement, only after the patient's consent is reached. Rest, I dont know.

 

Also, the window to publish independent pictures, concerns are always there. I assume, some patients become very satisfied and dont care about looking back. But, I still wonder what happens to the 90% of the majority, if the numbers are correct !!

Thanks.

 

 

I think your result looks very good......

I have never seen a NW 5 or 6 who had a ht that didn't have see through hair. It shows up less with creative hair styling and minimizing any shine to the scalp.

 

Thanks Topcat. I think tonight I will be able to sleep well ;-)

 

I think it's absurd to expect any business........

As far as patients with sub-par or average results, why should any clinic be obligated to post those when you have the forum patient blogs for that ? Any really serious prospective HT patient should spend alot of time looking at these blogs. If a doctor only has a few cases from patients who do their own personal blogs, then WHY is that ?

 

Hi ES, I think H/W raised the bar to such a level that categorically showing sub-par or average results would only help them get more acceptance. People will have realistic expectations and would realize that 'Results may vary' still applies.

 

....When you call these clinics for appointments, they give you an average of 2-3 months waiitng period..Which means that they are pretty much busy all around the year..My question is why dont we see a proportionate amount of results from these so called top notch clinics...

 

Is it because majority of the results are not worth posting on the forums? you are right when you say that clinics are not obligated to post sub-par results and why should do? but we as patient need to understand and read between the lines..

 

I assume a lot of minor procedures take place all year round, and a lot of potential patients visit the office. No real clue and not really concerned. But, it would be good if we see examples of complications/less-than-standard-results, etc. But, in reality, in a for-profit world, I wonder if that's at all possible. Thanks.

 

.... The biggest give away in my opinion is a person with a very shiny scalp that has had work done. It stands out like a sore thumb and is very noticeable at least to me.

....

You also have to take into consideration donor density, area being covered, hair thickness, hair color and the contrasting effect with the skin, hair waviness and placement of the hairline. Prospective patients should be aware of how everything will affect their end result, then they can make a decision with realistic expectations.

 

Hi topcat, some shiny-ness is probably due to the lighting. With all these variables I wonder how long it would take to find a solution. Could be a good topic for my 2nd PhD..lol. Thanks for your post.

 

....

 

i am thinking from this patients perspective......and cannot even keep his hair really short due to the scar!!

 

Honestly, what purpose would a diffuses look solve..people will still think about you as a bald/balding individual

 

DW, Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I can infact go as low as #2, and ppl wont notice the scar. I feel the scar is not a prob for now. Also, some of my real world pics dont really tag me as 'bald'. But, if i am 'balding', thats my worry :-(

Thanks.

 

 

.... Framing the face is key and has a dramatic effect on anyone with essentially no hair line to begin with...

 

 

I will say that I think more HT patients who achieve a thinning look would serve themsleves better by cutting their hair alot shorter.

 

Hi CD, thanks. Yes, without the full pic of the face the story is not quite finished. I will experiment on har size/orientation etc.

Thanks everyone for your time and cooperation.

K_1009

[K_2009]

Even though my original/main question was to see if I am loosing it again (and to get indpendent comments), this discussion has evolved far beyond that.

 

I think it would be unfair, if someone from H/W is not allowed to join. Let me take the liberty to invite Joetronic or any other member (who is associated with H/W) to join the fray ;-)

 

Joe, if you are around please feel free to comment.

Thanks.

K_2009.

Edited August 4, 2010 by K_2009

[Garageland]

Ok as I have read through this post from start to last I feel I would like to address some of the points and comments made.

 

Danielkiwi - Hasson and Wong are indeed booked up and between the two doctors they are averaging more than double your guess of patients each week, but out of these just how many patients give consent to post their pics on the internet somewhere between 5-10% and out of these 5-10% how many do you think actually return to the clinic to get proper before and after shots. In most cases it is patients coming back for another session, or for a check up.

 

Just how many people will travel miles to have their 1 year after pics taken? The clinic posts the most transparent pictures of ht's anywhere on the net these are taken in the same location infront of the blue wall, they post hd video with comb throughs and expose the scar how is this deceptive advertising these are the results in the same conditions and lighting, they do not grab pictures from patients blogs which are dimly lit to use as after pics, so you are comparing apples to apples.

 

Joe posts at least one new result on this forum each week, do you think he has a list of ten fully grown out results to choose from and just cherry picks the best one? No he has one or maybe two if lucky each week to go with that has given consent. If you see more home run results it's more than likely that the patient himself is happy with the result and therefore is more likely to give consent to post.

 

As for K2009's results after 16 months I have never met the patient as I am miles away in the UK but 4600 grafts spread over a norwood 6 entire area is not going to give a dense result.This is apparent just looking at the placement post op. as everyone else has said it would take somewhere in the region of 7-10k to give a much fuller look.I do not also know what plan of attack was discussed but I assume that k2209 wanted coverage all over as he maybe didn't want to come back a second time, what he does have is a stand alone result albeit a bit thinner than he was maybe hoping for.He has the coverage and it has framed his face and he looks much better than where he started, he also has the option to have another session in the future, anyone with his level of loss is not going to have a one and done surgery.

 

In my opinion your 16 month pics show an improvement over the 7 month ones, I am sure Joe can give us more details on the case.

[Danielkiwi]

Thanks for your response Garageland...a

 

Again, i would like to reiterate that i used H&W only as an example to emphasise the disproportionate ratio between surgeries conducted and patient results....I must also give credit to H&W coz they have maximum examples of photos under all conditions....

 

I however find it hard to beleive that patients dont send their pictures to the clinic for evaluation..they dont have to come all the way to your office...But any rational person would atleast take their own pictures and send to the clinic for evaluation....Correct me if am wrong...on the other hand when you talk about patient consent, that might be true but again 5% to 10% seems pretty low IMO...The problem i see is that clinics post their best pictures and when a result like this comes across, it opens everyones eyes to realistic possibilities..no body knows what is happening to the remaining 90% of patients...K was kind enough to share his experience but who knows how many people get frustrated and pale in to the shadows..to me, this is the grey area of HT's...that is why we must give a great amount of credit to patients who display pictures...

 

Coming back to this case, i agree that 4600 was a small number to cover that degree of baldness..Maybe K requested for this and maybe he can shed some light on this...But the more important question imo is whether K was warned by Dr. Wong of the consequences..to me, if K was told this by Dr. Wong, then i have no problem with this result..but, if he was not, then i see some red flags...I guess only K or Dr. Wong can answer this question....I would also be interested in seeing how high the scar is on the back of the head...because if the patient continues to loose hair in the crown area, he could continue to loose transplanted hair in the future as well!!!!

[Garageland]

The other 90% have the option of posting their pics on forums like this under no control of the clinics, just look how many blogs are on this site to scrutinise.....hundreds, but the vast majority want to remain anonymous, this is not something that anyone can control.

 

I always tell people to do their own research, look at the results on the websites is part of this but these forums provided the greatest help to me when I was deciding on a clinic.

[Raphael84]

"K was kind enough to share his experience but who knows how many people get frustrated and pale in to the shadows.."

 

Kiwi, Whilst this is a valid point and Im sure is the realism to some patients, I would infact conclude that the exact opposite is more "the norm". This goes for many differing examples, not just the HT industry. But generally, the happy patient/consumer will walk away and move on. Think about it, if you had reserached for 2 years, saved for 2 years, selected your Dr, arranged the travel etc etc... you would have only done so because you felt positive about what the outcome may be. If you were not positive and optimistic, you wouldnt have decided to undergo a HT in the first place. Therefore, when your results prove to be positive, as ecstatic as you may be, it was expected. You walk away happy and move on. Only when you have not got what you "deserved", what you anticipated, what your Dr explained that you could expect, then you feel the need to express your opinion. To "warn" others.

 

Either way, K, you have proved a brilliant narrative throughout your topic, and have aided consistent and fair feedback. You seem a real level headed guy with a great attitide. Your definately in a better situation "hair-wise" than you were pre HT, undoubtedly. And despite the current financial feesability, if anf when necessary you are in a great position for a subsequent HT and killer results. Have a great time travelling. Im sure it will be a great experience. Respect!

[Topcat611]

Raphael, I couldn’t disagree with you more. I have been around the forums for well over 10 years. I have followed this industry for about 25 years. And I have spoken to dozens and dozens of patients. A good majority of patients that are not happy with their results feel a sense of shame which works well for the subpar doctors. Of course I wish they would speak out more out of a sense of obligation, but it just doesn’t happen. There are only a few that have had any longevity to give a more honest and open view. I am a repair patient and I am not mad at the world. I just try and help others make a better decision out of a sense of obligation and my personal belief that what goes around comes around.

Cosmetic surgery is still somewhat of a taboo subject to discuss, especially for men. All one needs to do is Google bad plastic surgery and you will find plenty of well known people that have suffered this fate. They just don’t like to speak about it, which is too bad for those who are seeking a more balanced view.

[EpilepticSceptic]

I agree with Raphael 110%. In today's internet world with sites like HTN the top docs' reps are on the line at all times. If they were not batting a very high average of successful outcomes then there would be many more disgruntled patients posting about their bad experiences. When you consider how many surgeries some of these docs are doing each year, and then consider how few come on here to express dissatisfaction, then you have a pretty good idea of the consistency of some of these top docs.

 

I think because Topcat is a repair patient from the days when the HT technology was still primitive he has a slanted view on this. Virgin heads today come into this with high expectations when selecting a top doc. They can be completely anonymous on forums like this one, not having to show their face or reveal their identity. So what shame do they have to fear ? IMO they have every incentive to post about their bad experiences if their expectations are not met and they feel the doc mislead them.

 

On the other hand, I think there are MANY lurkers who use sites like this to do the research but then never bother to post their great results. Then you have that category of patients who simply don't bother to do a great deal of research but are referred by friends/aquaintences who went to a top doc and had the surgery. I think these patients make up a large percentage of the top docs' customer base as well, and they never even bother taking photos or participating on internet forums.

 

I think the people who spend alot of time on forums like this one fall into 4 categories:

 

1) Repair patients who didn't do their research before and were unlucky enough to end up butchered by a sub-par doc, and/or those rare few patients who went to top docs but got subpar growth.

 

2) The obsessive, non-trusting type who wants to know 110% of the ins and outs of HTs BEFORE they go under the knife (I am in this category)

 

3) The dreamers who are either too young, don't have the $, and/or may very well never be good candidates for the surgery. They spend alot of time on forums even though they haven't yet been evaluated in person by a top doc to even know if they are a good candidate, likely because the extra cost of flying out to meet the doc just for a consultation really bothers them -- which means they probably don't have the money for the surgery anyway, and are therefore not really serious!

 

4) Reps, shills, site owners, etc. who have a $ interest!

 

 

I think the happy patients who bother to post detailed blogs of their experience represent a very small percentage of the successful outcomes from the top docs. The ones who don't post really have very little incentive to ever come back here and waste any more of their time; if you don't work in the HT industry or make money running a HT website then incentive to spend any time here is very small once you have had a great result. But if you are an unhappy patient or a repair patient, then you have much more incentive to spend time here. I think that probably 90% of the success stories just move on and never look back, and I really can't blame them!

Edited August 4, 2010 by EpilepticSceptic

[Topcat611]

ES, I agree 90% of the success stories move on or don’t post. But it’s the same with those that are not happy with their results. They don’t post and the ones that do, post only for a very short time then move on.

Personally I watch the forums mostly to see what’s new in the field. I also like to let those not familiar with the procedure know where the pitfalls lie and about keeping expectations realistic. By teaching others about my own experience, I in turn learn more and this helps me.

Many prospective patients are under the false illusion that they can get their original density back which is simply not the case. I would say maybe 40% density is the norm on average, many just don’t understand this point.

[haircut]

I will add to this story. I was happy with my results for 15 years. During the past two years I have experienced a little more loss in the temple area. In the past six months I have visited with a half dozen top HT surgeons in the world to get their opinion. What I have found is that the techniques have advanced greatly in the last 15 years.

[Cant decide]

This has been a great thread!!!

 

ES: I am definately in catagory 2

 

k_2009: How many sq cm were covered in your procedure?

 

Thanks

[Topcat611]

I would also like to add that I don’t necessarily think my view is slanted too much to the negative side despite the road I have traveled. I am just older and wiser and like to pass on what I have learned to others.

The fact is there are hundreds and hundreds of doctors performing hair transplants. I think it safe to say probably 90% of them should seek another line of work as they are probably doing more damage than good in the world. Who are these doctors, where are these patients and why are they not posting. I don’t have the answer to this question, but I do see many of them just in daily life.

I have watched this industry for well over 25 years and there are only 2-3 clinics that I would consider. Dr. Bisanga is at the top of my list, but I also consider H&W as one of the best. Of course this is just my opinion and it’s only there to help others make a better decision.

Some people are under the false illusion because an organization recommends a certain doctor that their research is over. I think older potential patients have a better understanding that this is not true, while the younger ones need some convincing.

All one has to do as look around us. People wonder why no one reported on some of the most corrupt firms in our recent past like WorldCom, Enron, LehmanBros, etc. Because they were the very advertisers that paid the salaries of those who were giving us the facts.

Even some of the most conservative and trusted companies who had fiduciary responsibilities to the public like the accounting firm Arthur Anderson who were in business close to 100 years, were found to be easily corrupted where there was monetary gain to be had.

Let’s look at what is currently happening with institutions like Moody’s entrusted to give an accurate assessment to the public on the safety of their investments. Well you get the picture. It’s hard to get at the truth when money is involved and pay to play does exist in the world. It doesn’t mean that you should not consider having a procedure, just be careful about what you believe.

[Danielkiwi]

Tomcat - Could not agree more with you brother..I work in the financial services industry as an auditor and exactly know what you are talking about...I appreciate the fact that you are trying to educate people with your experiences..

 

To all others who think people accept their good results and move on without posting on the blogs, who knows what they do..however, i find it hard to imagine that they dont send their pictures to atleast the clinics who operated on them for evaluation..the onus is then on the clinics to share all results good or bad..The onus on us is to do as much research as possible and not select a doctor just because he or she is recommended by an organization...

[Mercury]

Can you really expect their clinic to put every patient's photos on line. When I had my transplant years ago, they asked me if they could use my pictures in their materials or photos to show people who walked in the door. (this was Bosley). I said No as I did not know what they were going to do with them and what billboard I would end up on.

 

I'm sure H/W has lots of patients that will let them show their befores and afters, but I'm sure they have a slew of people who also say no, which is OK. It is up to the person if they want their photos revealed. I give them a thumbs up for not showing everything when people don't want it shown.

 

So I think the thought of showing everyone's photos, from any clinic, should not be on the table. It would be nice to ask and see what % of people allow them to show their photos - I bet it would be low. So thank you H/W for not showing all your patients - but please keep showing the ones who said it was OK.

[EpilepticSceptic]

I'm in the entertainment biz, and I am strongly against a clinic using my photos in any way.

 

And I still don't see the incentive most patients have for sending photos to the clinic if they have great outcomes. Most guys are worried about people finding out and thinking that they are vain, or they'd really just rather forget about the whole thing alltogether; plus, the downtime and waiting period is so hard that when the hair finally grows in you just want to move on with your life and hopefully not have to spend any more time on HT forums for many years!

 

IMO these forums are a like a bad Kafka novel with people wasting alot of precious time obsessing over their hair; there are some on here that seem like emotional basket cases who should seek out counseling because they will never be happy no matter how good their hair/scar looks -- they are alot like bolemic women who will never be skinny enough until they look like Auschwitz victims. There are probably liposuction forums out there for women who want to get rid of cellulite, and there are probably obsessive/compulsive women who spend 10 hours every day hanging out on these forums and who will never be satisfied because enough fat couldn't be sucked out of their thighs to look as good as Angelina Jolie. Again, another example of a bad Kafka novel!

 

I still contend that the MAJORITY of patients with successful outcomes do not want their pictures shown, do not bother keeping up blogs, and are too busy enjoying life and not thinking about their hair anymore. These are the average joe types who were smart/lucky enough to find a top doc, who were good candidates, and who are psycholgically healthy and have more going on in life than just their looks to constantly obsess over.

 

In 6-8 months time I hope (expect) to be in this category. Once I see that enough has grown in to the point where I know I am getting optimum yield it will be my greatest pleasure to dissapear into thin air from these forums and never look back -- and I think a vast majority of the patients with good outcomes share this sentiment.

 

Yeah, I'll keep a blog and show finished results to give back to the community that has given much to me and helped prevent me from being scammed & butchered. But remember from my previous post, I'm in the minority category #2 for pre-HT patients: the obsessive, compulsive, non-trusting research FREAK!

Edited August 5, 2010 by EpilepticSceptic

[Topcat611]

ES, I look forward to hearing about your experience and hope you get a great result. It really sounds like you have realistic expectations and have done plenty of research. Hopefully the forums and those who have posted both good and bad have helped you make a better decision.

I can understand moving on once you have achieved your objective. But it’s also important to give back and help others make an informative decision as those who have helped you reach your own and it sounds like you will be doing just that.

Hopefully I can also move on and not post as much some time soon, 3-4 years. Just the small amount of work BHR and Dr. Bisanga has done for me has made a tremendous difference. But I still have a long way to go.

I am grateful that my outlook has always been fairly optimistic and that I have not let what has happened to me make me become a recluse. I have seen that happen too often and it’s sad to see when it could have all been avoided.

Maybe I have just spoken to too many people who lives were destroyed by this industry for me to turn my back and look the other way.

K 2009 your hair looks very natural and that is the most important to remember.

[Rugman]

I too am unfortunately one of the unlucky ones. I had a mega-session April 2009 (4700) with good results in some areas but less in others. About 10 months after my procedure Dr Wong requested updated photos, when he received them I think he too could see that around my upper temples and frontal area of my hairline only about 40-50% of the implanted hairs grew and called me personally and offered another surgery free. The second session was only 2400 and concentrated mostly on the areas around my hairline that were extremely thin. I'm about only 4.5 months out and may seem early to some but have not seen the results I was looking for to thicken up this area. At the same point in the first surgery I could see noticeable small fine hairs and could even see good growth on the crown area (which I'm told takes longer to show). I would guesstimate that again I am only seeing roughly 40-50% of the hairs transplanted growing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that at this point hoping that it may be tougher to see the new growth because of the previous transplanted hairs around it. Dr Wong did say that for my second procedure he was going to go conservative considering the results we got from the mega-session and that the hairs being so close could cause the poor growth. In any case Dr Wong also said that if this second procedure didn't yield the results we wanted that he would also do another surgery. Dr Wong offering the surgery's for free definitely helped but unfortunately I live on the East Coast of the US and just the travel and lodging along with food cost me a little over $1000 dollars not to mention the recovery needed from the surgery--and if I have to have another surgery (which looks very possible) then I'm looking at another $1000 plus and more recovery time. I will admit this recovery was much less painful/time consuming than the first initial mega-session but all this still has to be factored in as they are all necessary due to the lack of results from the initial surgery. In any case I continue to think/look long term and hope you also do the same. Best of luck in getting the final results you are looking for

[Blake Bloxham]

Rugman,

 

While we do encourage all patients to share their honest hair transplant experience (positive or negative), I think it would be best to do so in a thread dedicated strictly to your situation. Because of this, why don't you create a new thread and describe your hair transplant journey and post-operative opinions? Additionally, you should investigate adding photographs to your social profile or patient weblog to help demonstrate your concerns and elicit helpful responses from the community. Finally, I think you should contact Dr. Wong and discuss the situation. Thank you!

[Rugman]

I apologize for the seemingly out of place post-I'm not familiar with the format and when I posted it was meant for the very beginning of this thread on the first page. I do however thank you for your suggestions and will try to complete. My purpose for the post was merely to express my opinion on my progression throughout this process and to give support to another who sounded like he was experiencing a similiar situation. And as directed I will be in contact w/Dr Wong. Thanks again for your help.

[Raphael84]

Rugman,

 

I disagree with FutureHTDoc's comments completely and see your input as totally relevant. The fact that you experienced similar situations and despite the obvious complications and nuisances' H&W will stand by their patients and assist in each and every way they can. This will give many patients confidence. Like was suggested, your own thread would of course be welcomed and be more personal for yourself. It could be something you may want to do.

[Blake Bloxham]

Rugman and Raphael84,

 

I truly hope you weren't offended by my comments. Rugman, you are more than welcome to share your input on this, or any, thread on the community (as long as it's done appropriately). However, I simply suggested that you create your own thread and share pictures because it would allow you to better explain the situation and elicit greater help from the community. Thank you (both) for the input, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help answer questions in this thread or in setting up a personalized thread, photo album, or hair loss weblog.

[Danielkiwi]

I too am unfortunately one of the unlucky ones. I had a mega-session April 2009 (4700) with good results in some areas but less in others. About 10 months after my procedure Dr Wong requested updated photos, when he received them I think he too could see that around my upper temples and frontal area of my hairline only about 40-50% of the implanted hairs grew and called me personally and offered another surgery free. The second session was only 2400 and concentrated mostly on the areas around my hairline that were extremely thin. I'm about only 4.5 months out and may seem early to some but have not seen the results I was looking for to thicken up this area. At the same point in the first surgery I could see noticeable small fine hairs and could even see good growth on the crown area (which I'm told takes longer to show). I would guesstimate that again I am only seeing roughly 40-50% of the hairs transplanted growing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that at this point hoping that it may be tougher to see the new growth because of the previous transplanted hairs around it. Dr Wong did say that for my second procedure he was going to go conservative considering the results we got from the mega-session and that the hairs being so close could cause the poor growth. In any case Dr Wong also said that if this second procedure didn't yield the results we wanted that he would also do another surgery. Dr Wong offering the surgery's for free definitely helped but unfortunately I live on the East Coast of the US and just the travel and lodging along with food cost me a little over $1000 dollars not to mention the recovery needed from the surgery--and if I have to have another surgery (which looks very possible) then I'm looking at another $1000 plus and more recovery time. I will admit this recovery was much less painful/time consuming than the first initial mega-session but all this still has to be factored in as they are all necessary due to the lack of results from the initial surgery. In any case I continue to think/look long term and hope you also do the same. Best of luck in getting the final results you are looking for

 

I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate exp with HT and it is nice to hear that Dr. Wong stands behind his words..however, i have a couple of questions for you.

 

I can understand you going for a second procedure with Dr. Wong after your first did not turn out well!!! however, if your second does not turn out well, why would you want to risk a third one with the same doctor..personally, i would not let the doctor touch my head again after a failed transplant..you run the risk of loosing valuable donor...if the doctor messed up in the first place, what made ytou think that he would give you the desired result in repeat procedures!!!!