Live Surgery with Dr. Gabel

[OtherSyde]

Yep, I'm sitting the chair right now, reporting live from my smart phone aas Dr. Gabel is implanting hair grafts into my front hairline. I don't feel a thing. sorry if this text is a bit garbled; not only am i trying type into a smart phone while staring into very bright operating-room lights, but i had a valium about an hour ago. i will try to post a pic if my phone can manage to multitask and hanfde javascript at the same time ;p

[Sparky]

I wasn't allowed my phone in the surgery.

[OtherSyde]

OK! Pics...

 

NOTE: See the red lines along my hairline? Those are the only implants inserted so far. These are just mostly pre-op pics. The white spots along just below my hairline are where the anesthetic was shot in. More pics as I progress...

Edited December 31, 2010 by OtherSyde

[OtherSyde]

I'm eating lunch right now... We're about 2/3 of the way done I think. I'm heading back to the operating room right now.

[RCWest]

Dude, that's great! Jotronic did this for his last surgery. I think it's a great idea and think more people should do it.

 

From all I've read on here, Dr. Gabel is an outstanding and ethical surgeon, not to mention a comedian. Good luck to ya!!

[Blake Bloxham]

Othersyde,

 

What a neat idea! Thank you for keeping us updated (literally)!

[OtherSyde]

Alright! I'm back in my hotel room now. The procedure went amazingly smoothly. Early this morning, I was supposed to be at the office at about 6:30am, but the taxi was taking FOREVER, so Dr. Gabel actually just drove to my hotel and picked me up in his Acura. We discussed some last-minute thoughts in the office, took some professional-grade pictures for records' sake, and made the guide-lines on my forehead.

 

Within 30-35 minutes, we were in the operating room and he was sticking me with needles full of local anesthetic. Then they taped/wrapped my head up like a mummy, leaving only the strip extraction-point exposed. I laid face-down in the operating chair which is sort of like laying in one of those weird multi-segmented beds at a massage parlor, and he quickly extracted my strip. It was completely painless; I was pretty shocked at how quickly it went.

 

After he had sutured up the donor site, they further cleaned my scalp and shaved the recipient area (most of the frontal scalp region). Then I wandered around for a bit, and got to watch the very-skilled staff dissect my strip. They are quite skilled, one being ex-Army, who worked for several years with Dr. Alexander in Phoenix before moving to Oregon. A real crack team.

 

Then the implanting began. I rarely felt anything besides the occasional vague prick, although I'll warn you that I felt a weird crunching sound reverberate through my skull each time the blade was pushed into my skin. Fortunately, thanks to the Valium I had taken earlier, it wasn't really even unpleasant. I created this thread on my smart-phone, finally got to watch The Truman Show after years of wondering what it was about, and then, after taking a break to eat some teryaki chicken, I simply passed out for over an hour while they worked (which worked out well for them since I didn't move at all, making their job easier), which also goes to show how little discomfort there was.

 

I must point out that while his assistants took turns helping to place the grafts, Dr. Gabel himself was there, carefully placing the grafts himself almost the entire time. He made additional holes towards the end just for perfection's sake, to fill in any small areas lacking in density.

 

I was frequently handed a mirror to view the progress, and was updated on the status of the procedure often. I got look at the various tools of the trade, and learned quite a bit about the science of it all.

 

We were done with the procedure by about 5:30pm, which seems like a long time, but that included leg-stretching breaks, bathroom breaks, lunch, and some down-time while my strip was further dissected in order to yield more grafts.

 

"From all I've read on here, Dr. Gabel is an outstanding and ethical surgeon, not to mention a comedian. Good luck to ya!!"

 

Well I had read much the same things and seen only great results as well, and I'm here to tell you that it's all true, possibly barring the "comedian" part, haha. He certainly has a sense of humor and is very upbeat and conversational, but very professional as well. Everything went off like clockwork. And I can back the "ethical" part in full, as he sold me on strip-FUE and a smaller number of grafts for several reasons (including better/prettier end-results with the actual follicle units, and preserving donor areas for later), rather than trying to sell me the raw FUE method because costs a bit more or trying to over-sell the amount of grafts necessary. I'd recommend his establishment to anyone looking for a great hair transplant.

 

He's crafty with the graft placement, too; not only does he seem to have maintained the upward-direction of my strange but charismatic cow-lick that I've always had in the front of my widow's peak, he incorporated in all the weird twists and swirls throughout my scalp, conforming the new implants to the unique flow of the resident follicles. My hair runs in strange directions every other inch, like the wild currents of the Pacific Ocean, and Dr. Gabel navigated and sailed them like a salty mariner.

 

And, although price really wasn't an object in this very-important procedure (I have no issue paying more to have something done right), I really expected to pay around ten or eleven thousand for a good, strong hair-transplant. However, with great attention to detail and creative and strategic placement, he seems to have done amazing things with just under 2,000 (about 1,800 grafts) and it all boiled down to about $7,193 total. Amazing.

 

I have to sleep upright in a recliner tonight, but Dr. Gabel is once again coming to pick me up early in the morning for our next-day instructional consult, post-op exam, and some final photos.

 

Oh also, here are some photos of bits of my strip, as well as some of the used incision blades...

Edited December 31, 2010 by OtherSyde

[OtherSyde]

Alright, here are a few I took about ten minutes ago, which is about 2 hours after the procedure. Look at that density compared to the shot I took a few days ago (the first pic)! Not only is it far more dense, but the hairline, although only slightly lower, is very strong and dense instead of thin, wispy, and transparent.

 

Granted I'll have to walk around for a week or two with my head looking like someone attacked it with a weed-eater, but hair transplants aren't instant-gratification. I think this is going to look great in 3-5 months, and amazing in 8-12 months.

[Spanker]

Great post, great attitude, good luck and I hope you stick around and share your results

[Spanker]

You in the Navy?

[OtherSyde]

Yep, active duty Navy. Stationed in Everett, WA. Way too cold for me.

 

It was kind of a pain to get this approved, especially on short notice; The military in general is very disdainful of "cosmetic" things, especially in men. Half of my superiors are relatively bald and don't care in the least, because they have the military-esque "function-over-form" mentality. I work on a fairly small ship full of salty sailors who mostly shun luxury. Everyone gave me a hard time over it, and I'm sure I'll be the laughing-stock of the ship for awhile as the news rapidly spreads, but I don't care. I'm just ecstatic to know that I'll now have a great head of hair so when I transfer to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 7-8 months, I can lounge and surf and mingle happily on the beach and not feel like the bald white touristy-looking guy sticking out like a sore thumb. I can't wait!

Edited December 31, 2010 by OtherSyde

[Blake Bloxham]

Othersyde,

 

Thank you for the continual updates, and also thank you VERY much for your service!

[OtherSyde]

You're quite welcome!

 

Also, if Dr. Gabel is reading this, could you throw up some of those nice high-resolution photos you took of my before-and after, my strip, and especially of my super-clean looking grafts all lined up nicely in the little clear dish? That would be great!

[OtherSyde]

Well as far as posting his photos, it looks like Dr Gabel has been too preoccupied, which isn't surprising at all; the mere fact that I got into an impromptu appointment three days after my initial consult, I got the strong impression, is due to sheer luck or to someone else having canceled; I know that he has been booked solid until mid-January at the very least.

 

Anyways, here's an update from me since New Years (remember I had my surgery done on December 30th).

 

This is New Years Eve. I just wore a stocking-cap to New Years festivities to conceal my slightly-weird scalp. No one questioned this. I had lots of fun. This was one day post-op...

 

 

And here I am on January 1st, a mere two days post-op. Not bad-looking, huh? I forgot my hat on my journey to the local Wal-Mart for milk, but no one even really seemed to notice (and believe me I was watching). The place was packed due to the New Years sale and holiday gift-exchange crowd, too. I just didn't look all that conspicuous, I guess.

 

 

 

 

It only saddens me that all these newly-placed follicles will quickly release their current hairs during their shock-loss phase over the next week or two, and I will have to be balding again for a month or three, but I know they will regrow as thick as ever. I can't wait for March/April!

Edited January 3, 2011 by OtherSyde

[YouOnlyLiveOnce]

Congrats on the transplant. Dr. Gabel got in touch with me, I guess my email got filtered some how. I'm gonna schedule an appoinment next week to mee with him.

 

You're brave man. I was super carful for atleast a month after the transplant. My clinic specifically told me no stocking caps.

 

Happy growing bud

[tarepanda]

othersyde

 

ur 2 day post ops pics really looks great!!! looks undetectable that u gone thru an HT just 2 days earlier.

 

btw., got any pics of the donor area?

[waveskier]

That is a very nice and clean job! Thanks for sharing.

[OtherSyde]

Congrats on the transplant. Dr. Gabel got in touch with me, I guess my email got filtered some how. I'm gonna schedule an appoinment next week to mee with him.

 

You're brave man. I was super carful for atleast a month after the transplant. My clinic specifically told me no stocking caps.

 

Happy growing bud

 

Thanks! And yeah, I wasn't just wearing a stocking cap; Dr. Gabel said it would be best to wear the little protective blue shower-cap-looking-thing under the cap; that way if the stocking cap shifted, it would only slide along the outer surface of the shower cap and not rub my scalp. The shower cap is very tightly-woven also, and therefore much less likely to have any hair snagged or entangled in it.

 

Here's a few pics of the donor area, which really doesn't cause any pain anymore (only feels a bit tight). It looks a bit haggard under the super-white light I have shining on it, but any huge incision across your scalp is going to take some time to heal. Also, my hair is shaved shorter than it's ever been since boot camp almost 6 years ago, making the donor site that much more apparent. After it heals and I let my hair grow out a half-inch or so, it should be very subtle.

 

 

Edited January 3, 2011 by OtherSyde

[Lucky7]

Looks great! Thank you for your service to our country! Your attitude is wonderful, and I wish you the best results.

[Steven Gabel, MD, FACS]

Othersyde

 

I appreciate the kind words and extensive write-up. This will definitely give people an insight into what to expect.

 

Looks like your doing great. I’ll get some photos of the surgery up asap.

Edited January 4, 2011 by Steve Gabel, M.D.

[Chris in Seattle]

I just wanted to add that I also had a procedure done by Dr. Gabel, in March, and he (and his team) ARE outstanding! I could not have made a better choice. It was not only worth the 3 hour drive from Seattle, but I would've chosen him, even if he was thousands of miles away.

 

I recently saw a friend who I haven't seen since I experienced any hair loss. He pretty much forgot that I had the procedure done. Then I reminded him and showed him pictures from before my surgery, and he was absolutely shocked!

 

I've definitely noticed some thickening lately, and I look forward to the full result. I feel most "exposed" when my hair is wet or if I'm around bright lights. But in general, the self-consciousness that used to rule my entire life is hardly felt at all.

 

I plan to post pictures this weekend, to mark 10 months since my surgery.

 

Thanks, Dr. Gabel!

[OtherSyde]

Alrighty, here's an update, 7 days post-op.

 

The pics of me with the super-black hair were from November 2008; I was dying my hair (not THAT dark; the wet dye just looked really dark) and I took the opportunity to use the darkness to make a very defined analysis of my hairline. Don't let the dye fool you, I was thinning at this point too.

 

Then there's the pics of me in the blue shirt with the lines on my head; This was at my consult with Dr. Gabel in Seattle on Dec 27th, three days pre-op. Note the thin, scraggly hairline. It wasn't much further back then than it is now, but it was very patchy and basically comprised of dying white fluff and super-thin white hairs; I couldn't do much with it.

 

The last three pics are from tonight, January 6th, 7 days post-op.

 

 

I now see several factors:

 

1. Noticing some shock-loss. Figured as much would happen. Guess I'll start the Ugly Phase now, and get it out of the way. It'll be all the better when my old hair grows back, in tandem with my newly-placed grafts, I think it'll be quite thick despite its thin appearance at this point.

 

2. Looking at my Before pics, my hairline actually appears to have been brought forward several millimeters, which is great. My temples being brought forward helps alleviate the receding-hairline-look as well, something I hadn't previously anticipated.

 

3. My widow's peak used to be maybe a half-centimeter lower and a good bit wider, thus giving it a stronger presence on my forehead. I'll probably have that rebuilt on a later HT, which I will inevitably need in order to stave off further balding in the vertex/mid-scalp region. I'll probably just throw two or three hundred grafts at it. But I'm happy for now.

[Spanker]

Yep, active duty Navy. Stationed in Everett, WA. Way too cold for me.

 

It was kind of a pain to get this approved, especially on short notice; The military in general is very disdainful of "cosmetic" things, especially in men. Half of my superiors are relatively bald and don't care in the least, because they have the military-esque "function-over-form" mentality. I work on a fairly small ship full of salty sailors who mostly shun luxury. Everyone gave me a hard time over it, and I'm sure I'll be the laughing-stock of the ship for awhile as the news rapidly spreads, but I don't care. I'm just ecstatic to know that I'll now have a great head of hair so when I transfer to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 7-8 months, I can lounge and surf and mingle happily on the beach and not feel like the bald white touristy-looking guy sticking out like a sore thumb. I can't wait!

 

I was stationed in Hawaii for 3 years. There are a lot of bald white tourist guys there. You wouldn't have stuck out. The military hair cut and the guys you hang with is what will make you stick out. Plus, you are white and obviously not local.

 

They have some great, great beaches there. I have been gone pushing a decade and I still miss it sometimes, yet it feels like I just left.

[kathie47]

OtherSyde, the results look great! Thanks for sharing. What made you choose Dr. Gabel?

[YouOnlyLiveOnce]

Looks like you'r healing up nicely!

 

It looks like you guys focused on the front 1/3 or your head but it seems theres thinning behind it. Is there an plans for the mis scalp and top of the crown?