Consulatation

[garet]

One thing that REALLY turns me off about about visiting potential HT surgeons is that many of them have salespeople do the consultation. AND they charge money for that "privilege".

 

The fact that I have to pay money to meet with someone wearing a white coat, who isn't even a doctor, to tell me I should do the surgery is rubbish. Of course they tell me I should do the surgery when they will get $8,000 to $10,000!

 

Even if the doctor is good, if you want to discuss a surgery, you should meet with doctor personally, not their salespeople or assistants with white coats.

[purplesky]

hi garet,

 

i checked your profile, it looks you will have your ht in dht clinic.

i had my repair surgery there too on 13 of july.

 

in my consultaion appointment, i met dr.path, dr oravan and another assistant (sorry i don't know his name ). dr path checked my condition and didn't leave untill he made sure that i don't have any further questions.

 

i'm pretty sure that i didn't meet any salespeople in dht clinic.

and i believe that the recommended doctors in this site don't follow the policy of employing salespeople in their clinics nor performing the surgeries based on the assistants' evaluations.

 

good luck!

[garet]

Ok, I think I was misunderstood. I wasn't referring directly to Dr. Path. He is obviously one of the best surgeons around and his assistant, Dr. Oravan was very helpful.

 

I was referring to the general practice at most clinics of having consultations with someone other than the main doctor doing the surgery.

 

Based on other people's posts, now I understand that this is common practice. Thanks for informing me.

 

Now I will make the decision abut the best HT option.

[purplesky]

then sorry for misunderstanding you,

now it's clear that your post is related to certain discussions or topics that i don't know about. i wrote my post to ensure you that your condition will be evaluated by dr path himself.

 

well every clinic has its own policy in dealing the patients, however the most important thing is to have a successful ht in an excellent clinic regardless of whom you may consult.

this is my opinion based on my experience in 2 hts.

 

choosing the right clinic is your own decisiont, and i wish you 'll have best ht.

 

again, good luck and sorry for digressing.

[Al - Moderator]

One thing that REALLY turns me off about about visiting potential HT surgeons is that many of them have salespeople do the consultation. AND they charge money for that "privilege".

 

The fact that I have to pay money to meet with someone wearing a white coat, who isn't even a doctor, to tell me I should do the surgery is rubbish. Of course they tell me I should do the surgery when they will get $8,000 to $10,000!

 

Even if the doctor is good, if you want to discuss a surgery, you should meet with doctor personally, not their salespeople or assistants with white coats.

 

 

This is something that really bothers me too. I don't know how they get away with it. In the USA only a licensed Dr can determine if you are a candidate for surgery. Only a Dr can determine if you have any disease or condition that might make you not a candidate. Only a Dr can recommend that you have surgery.

 

This happened to me and I'm still living in hell because of it over 20 years later.

[RCWest]

Honestly, a reputable surgeon/hair clinic should be about what is BEST for the patient. NOT trying to sell them X amount of grafts before even checking their scalp or trying to sell vitamins/shampoos/conditioners for thinning hair. If a patient is a candidate for surgery then that should be recommended, but first and always they should recommend Propecia to start with.

[wb280]

Garet, like purplesky, i assumed u were talking about Dr Pat and Dr Oravan as they fit your description. My point of view is that, the doc is really busy everyday with patients and look, not all who visit the clinic for consultation will end up in surgery, and even for those who decided to go ahead, it might not be their clinic. Lets be honest here, Dr Pat is already so so busy with the surgeries everyday, it makes sense to me that a very experienced consultant like Dr Oravan is catering to all the emails and enquiries. Only if the consultant is not experienced and concerned with sales should u be worried. However, i understand your point, just that in the HT industry, i figure most surgeons practise the same. Thats y u ve to go along with someone u r comfortable. There is no one to set the standard but yourself. If you feel that really bothers u, then u shld look for a doc who does all the consultations.

 

BeHappy, i sympathize with you and i guessed u just fell prey to a sales consultant who was just into sales and targeting your emotions at that time.

[Blake Bloxham]

Garet,

 

Would you mind sharing why you believe "most" clinics use this tactic. Frankly, I believe a large majority of clinics (and all reputable clinics) go through an appropriate consulting process and do not move forward without analysis from the operating hair transplant surgeon.

 

Would you mind clarifying? I feel like your original post may be a bit defamatory of the hair transplant process in general, which seems vague and unfair.

[wb280]

Blake, i am not sure how the others view it or how the other docs operate, but i can speak for Doc Pat.

 

I am totally comfortable with his assistant, Doc Oravan, who is well honed in her skills to do the first consultation for potential patients. She will explain the entire procedure as well as answer all your queries and perhaps do a visual miniaturization test. I am sure if she feels the patient is not suitable for HT, she would ve called in Doc Pat for reaffirmation.

 

For myself, since i was a suitable patient, it was quite simple. I had all my questions answered and the estimation of the no. of grafts. When i came in for the consultation one day prior to surgery, Doc Pat will step in. I thought this process is perfectly acceptable. I mean, on one hand, u want your answers to your emails fast, and on the other hand u wan the doc to be there for all your consultations. I felt this was too much to ask for, however like i mentioned, to each his own, i cannot possibly impose my thinking onto others hence Garet has to decide, if he is seriously uncomfortable with such, i think its better he looks for a doc who can satisfy him in this regard

[Blake Bloxham]

Wb280,

 

I agree, this is an acceptable consultation: you were analyzed by a medical professional and the operating hair transplant surgeon reviewed the information before performing the procedure.

 

I think Garet was referring to the now unusual process where a non-medical, "sales" type personnel from a clinic handles the consultation with the sole purpose of signing an individual up for a procedure and collecting the payment. It's my understanding that this is an outdated tactic that was only used by questionable clinics and not by those recommended on our network.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Guys,

 

To clarify, some physicians have consultants offer the initial consultation/evaluation but it should never replace the necessary evaluation of the physician. For out of area patients, sometimes the physician's first in-person consultation is the day of surgery. However, this evaluation still plays a vital role in determining what can realistically be achieved.

 

Some physicians do charge for their time on consults and others offer their time for free. Personally, I'd prefer it if all physicians offer a free one time in-depth consult however, I can't very well begrudge a physician for charging for their valuable time either. If anyone is bothered by having to pay a surgeon for their initial evaluation, one can always opt to visit alternative surgeons.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill