My Experience Versus YOUTUBE testimonials

[DHT1212]

I’m 5 days Post-Op. I had 2300 grafts done via FUT procedure. As I looked into doing the procedure, I found forums very helpful. In general from everything from home improvements to automobiles, forum testimonials can often times be based in fact, but many times based in personal bias.

 

The difficulty for the reader is determining who is being subjective and who is being biased. For example, go to a BMW forum and tell them the new Boss Mustang will beat the M3 around Laguna Seca. Impossible or Fact?

 

In any event, what I heard and the most popular version of the FUT experience is no big deal. I think I have seen two videos on youtube where patients documents their first 7 days. Most say day 1 and 2 are moderate and the rest is clear sailing. Basically, painting the experience as a walk in the park. I laugh at these videos- now.

 

Immediately after surgery, the best word I can think of to describe how I felt was: crappy and in pain. For me it was sitting in a dentist chair for 9 hours. The time goes by fairly quickly and the chair is comfortable, but nonetheless sitting there for 9 hours is not the greatest experience in the world. Root Canals are easier because they are over more quickly.

 

I think the biggest surprises is the pain level and how incapacitated you are following the procedure.

 

Day 1 and 2 are hardly tolerable without Vicodin. Forget about turning your head, bending over, or not being on Vicodin. At night, I did not get Ambien and maybe that’s the difference maker, but in 5 days I have yet to make it through the night without waking up with severe pain in the donor location. Vicodin controls pain, but you are basically high 24/7. Maybe I like to be up and around more, but sitting around doing nothing for 5 days is driving me crazy.

 

For the last week I have been basically taking Vicodin 24/7. Prior to this procedure I had probably taken 5 vicodin in my life and hate pain meds.

 

On top of all this, my hair is about .8 inch long and the donor strip is clearly visible as are all the scabbing. Hopefully, in the next couple days I’ll be ready to go back to work. But this procedure is visiable on day 5. I'm hoping stitches removed and I'll be good to go. The swelling is way down in the donor area on day 5, and I feel that I'm healing well.

 

Would I do it again, sure. But, I would have like expectations of what to expect to be less sugar coated. Some posters on this forum really prepared me for what to expect, and I am very thankful for their posts!

 

In any event, I’m not saying don’t do it. Do it, but just be ready to take some time off work (2 weeks min.) and be ready to sit on your errse and don’t go home without a lot of Vicodin 7.5mg. Pain IS normal, as they removed a chunk of your scalp. Sleeping through the entire night is NOT normal. And having all types of worrying about pulling out the grafts is normal as well.

 

In the end, I'm definitely glad I did it - with hopes of good results. However, this ain't like getting a cavity filled.

 

You Tube Video I was thinking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5mvVQfw8x0

 

Actually pretty funny..around day 5. "It's 5:45 a.m. - No problem sleeping" Classic....

Edited January 10, 2011 by DHT1212

[AdamAJ]

damn my face swelled up exactly like yours....i had surgery jan 6 2011 couple days ago....and like you i was suprised at it.....good luck to you....looks like you will have excellent natural looking results

[okay2land]

I can deal with everything you've mentioned except the sleeping part. Finding the right position is a nightmare. Vicodin? in 3 procedures, 2 with Dr lindsey, Ive taken a total of 3 or 4 Vicodins. My last HT was 4 days ago and Im sitting at work with stitches in my head typing this. I think its all about the person. Now root canals... and I've had plenty of those including a root canal repair and two implants, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I walk into a dentist office with white knuckles ready to fight. Everyones different.

 

Hang in there dude. Hope you have a quick recovery.

Edited January 11, 2011 by okay2land

[largechris]

Honestly this wasn't my experience with Dr Path. The pain management was superb all the way through, sorry not sure whether vicodin was used or not but the whole anaesthetic bit was carried out with millimeter precision in specific points of the head. I felt a little pain with the strip removal but nothing else.

I slept like a baby first night, propped up on pillows but with a flight neck roll as well to keep pressure off scar.

Dr Path wants you to keep the headband on 3 days, so I didn't notice any swelling at all either. I ate a normal meal in the hotel in the evening and got on with sightseeing the following day.

 

Also - not making this up - there was a continuous massage all the way through the procedure, which wasn't really necessary for me, but nice anyway.

 

My advice is if the OP puts you off having an HT, investigate whether some doctors are better than others with pain management. Maybe we could have a survey on these boards just to collect data on this specific point.

[wb280]

I concur with Chris. Before the op, to be honest, i was quite worried on the pain issue. After reading past patients of Dr Pat giving their reassurance, i went in with less doubts but still doubtful. Man, was i wrong! The op was literally painless, except some stinging feeling with the strip removal ( like what Chris mentioned ) Obviously i cannot comment on other docs but at least for Dr Pat, i can vouch that the surgery was seriously quite painless

[C]

I think everyones experience is a bit different. I swelled, as most people do but 90% of it is the numbing injections working its way down your forehead.

For me, yes some discomfort but hardly intolerable. I was out hiking after 2 days and a week I was good to do whatever though I rested just to help the healing process. I am a quick healer and I think everyone has a different thresh hold for pain as I didnt need meds. I had about 3500 grafts.

 

All in all, I agree it is great for everyone willing to post experiences, as it gives future patients an idea of the range of outcomes they can look to expect. Its not always as easy as some of the writeups make it seem.

 

Good luck with your healing. You will be happy with the results.

[DHT1212]

Thanks guys. I should clarify, the procedure was mostly painless, it was pretty much the next couple of days and nights. However, a massage during would have been great.

 

It's now day 7 - feeling better, but sleeping on the donor area still gets me up.

 

As for the days immediately following, there was no way I would have been functional at all. I have a fairly high pain threshold tolerance, so, I was pretty surprised on day 1-5.

 

I'm on some more antibiotics and feeling better.

[largechris]

I appreciate OP was also talking about pain in the days after the surgery -

 

Apart from a wisdom tooth, I'd never had any sort of operation before, so I was a bit concerned that when the anaesthetic wore off in the hours after the operation that it would be painful - and I was given some codeine to take away with me.

 

And I literally had no pain at all - of course if I touched the scar I felt that, but other than that - nothing. I didn't go poking around the grafts, but I stayed in Bangkok for ten days (with a hat on) and had one of the best holidays ever.

 

As I say, Dr Path seems to take enormous care with the anaesthetic, I understand it can be very worrying having surgery but it seems a shame if people are put off HTs when there maybe some doctors out there who really can help you and have a method of minimising pain.

[DHT1212]

Day 9 now. Doing a lot better. Regardless of the doctor - for me my body responded when a cm of scalp was removed and relocated with 2k plus pin holes. I expected it!

 

Again, my most comfortable level is 0 pain on 0 pain meds. If I have to take Vicodin then there is a reason I'm taking it: pain. Basically, during day 7-9 pain is definitely low. At night, sleeping is painful and continues to wake me up. It is what it is.

 

My goal is to be able to function 100% without pain meds. On day 9 minimal pain during the day, but sleeping at night at times is painful. I have searched the forums and this actually seems to be a fairly common experienced.

 

In any event, looking forward to the results!

Edited January 14, 2011 by DHT1212