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Surgeon "Teams"


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  • Regular Member

I'm scheduled to have a HT around end of September with a recommended doctor on this site. I know there are several doctors who work with the main surgeon during surgery. I was concerned about who would be responsible for which tasks so I asked one of the staff who confirmed that the main doctor makes the incisions, but his helper doctors often plant the grafts in the incisions.

 

Is it normal practice for the doctor's helpers to plant the grafts? Should I be concerned? I'm paying a lot of money and I prefer for the doctor with the most experience to do the detailed work such as planting the grafts.

 

Another comment about the staff. I went back to the doctor's office because I had some more questions, but the same staff who did the consultation answered all of my questions. She was very helpful, but I feel a little put of that the doctor didn't meet me even for one minute, as i know he was in the office.

 

I need reassurance about my concerns from the doctor himself, not his staff.

Edited by garet
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  • Senior Member

Garet, to be honest, i think most, if not all, HT surgeons do the main work like cutting the strip and maybe planting some of the grafts. The closure is also done by the main doctor. However, the planting is very tedious and surgeons are humans too. They cannot do everything themselves, but with that said, the team of hair techs should be experienced enough to perform their jobs. That is the responsibility of the surgeon to ensure that. Good results are due to the collaboration of the patient, doc and his team. Thats why its beneficial to go to the recommended physicians not just because they are good, it meant that their hair techs are well trained to do their jobs too.

 

As for consultations, its quite normal for a consultant ( mostly not being the doc himself/herself ) to face potential patients to answer all their queries. I personally do not think that meeting the doc during the first consultation matters. The consultant should be able to estimate the grafts, discuss on your expectations etc. However, thats just my perspective. :)

View my hair loss website. Surgery done by Doc Pathomvanich from Bangkok http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=1730

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  • Senior Member

My doctor did the strip removal and close up, and all the rest was done by his technicians. So far (5 weeks after) I have no complaints. I know his reputation is on the line and I am sure if he entrusted the graft planting to technicians he must be confident in their abilities.

 

It bothered me a little at first, but then I learned that the technicians do nothing but the separation and planting. That is all they do all the time. They must be better than the doctor with so much experience. I just think of them as specialists.

 

There are doctors that do it all, but that could be extremely fatiguing. I now think it is a good thing to have a team.

 

JMO Russ

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  • Senior Member

wave skier, definitely! I would rather have a whole team assembled by him than to be done by himself :) They are humans after all. Imagine they do themselves everyday over and over again! Damn, i will be shivering with him planting with eyes half closed!!!

 

Anyway nice ride in that photo :) Is that a lamborghini?

View my hair loss website. Surgery done by Doc Pathomvanich from Bangkok http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=1730

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  • Senior Member

Garet,

 

Like others have stated, hair transplantation is a collaborative process and excellent surgeons work with first-rate teams. Because of this, you can probably rest easy knowing that the final result of the hair restoration procedure will rest on the surgeon's shoulders and they only let individuals who are trained and competent perform any task related to the procedure. However, I do encourage you to keep researching and asking questions until you are completely satisfied. I personally think that this helps create optimal results, and you can feel free to ask any further questions on this thread or by private message. Good luck!

"Doc" Blake Bloxham - formerly "Future_HT_Doc"

 

Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

 

All opinions are my own and my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician.

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  • Senior Member

Most, but not all of the time, the surgeon takes the donor strip, closes it up, and makes the graft sites. Sometimes he will relieve a team member when they get tired. The technicians do the cutting and most of the planting. They are HIGHLY trained, don't worry :D Personally I consider hair restoration to be one of the most tedious jobs in the medical field. At least with heart and brain surgery you can usually see what you're working with most of the time. With hair transplantation you are usually working with grafts and graft sites under 1mm in diameter. That's roughly 3/32 of an inch!! I'd go blind and have to be put in a straight jacket if I had to do that job 10-12 hours a day :eek:

Finasteride 1.25 mg. daily

Avodart 0.5 mg. daily

Spironolactone 50 mg twice daily

5 mg. oral Minoxidil twice daily

Biotin 1000 mcg daily

Multi Vitamin daily

 

Damn, with all the stuff you put in your hair are you like a negative NW1? :D

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  • Senior Member

Garet, i think we all should have reasonable demands. Its very logical for docs not to get involved in the grafting and planting, its just too tedious!

 

Also, somehow i am getting the idea that you have quite high expectations with regard to the surgery. I need to caution u that, HT is not about getting all u have lost. Its about creating an illusion of density. You will not be able to get what all u have had. I just wanted to emphasize this. We must keep our expectations in line with reality.

View my hair loss website. Surgery done by Doc Pathomvanich from Bangkok http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=1730

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  • Senior Member

wb280,

 

It is Lambo Gallardo, got a year and a half ago and it almost cost me my marriage! Never told the wife till it was ordered and on its way. I knew she would flip if I told her ahead of time. Big risk, but it worked out OK. That thing is more fun than any man should be aloud to have!

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waveskier, we were in the same boat! ordered the ferrari modena a few yrs ago without my fiance ( now my wife ) hahaha. Thats a gd car mate, i am driving the Ferrari F430 now and changing to the F458 italia next yr waiting for shipment :) just in time for my hair to grow out :)

View my hair loss website. Surgery done by Doc Pathomvanich from Bangkok http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=1730

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  • Regular Member
Most, but not all of the time, the surgeon takes the donor strip, closes it up, and makes the graft sites. Sometimes he will relieve a team member when they get tired. The technicians do the cutting and most of the planting. They are HIGHLY trained, don't worry :D Personally I consider hair restoration to be one of the most tedious jobs in the medical field. At least with heart and brain surgery you can usually see what you're working with most of the time. With hair transplantation you are usually working with grafts and graft sites under 1mm in diameter. That's roughly 3/32 of an inch!! I'd go blind and have to be put in a straight jacket if I had to do that job 10-12 hours a day :eek:

Good points. Thank you for clarifying for me.

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