Disappointing results-need advice

[DavidEur]

Hello,

 

I'm seeking opinions on which course of action I should pursue after a disappointing 1700 graft transplant to my hairline performed by an IAHRS surgeon in the US (I flew from Europe to have it performed).

 

I'd prefer not to name the surgeon as I don't like anyone, patients or doctors, using the internet as 'leverage' for personal gain or other dubious reasons (even if I lose respect for the other party). Most importantly I'd rather just focus on where next and avoid conflicts based on historical events,

 

As you can see from the 10 month pic, the density is poor and doesn't match the hair behind. I'm a 42 yr old non-smoking male so not sure what happened. I voiced my concerns to the doc's patient co-ordinator on several occasions, and he promised they'd do a complementary touch up if there were problems, and that I should be patient.

 

However, when I contacted again at 10 months (10th of January) re. possibility of a touch up, I was told my result was acceptable and that I had decent growth, so if I'd like a touch up, I could get a few hundred grafts for $1000 (reward for loyalty). More and it would be normal price. I wrote I'd just wait then, and see the results after 18 months or so.

 

But I realised I was fooling myself, and that it wouldn't be the result I'd hoped for, even after 18 months. So I decided to contact a reputable IAHRS surgeon (also on the 10th of Jan). His coordinator showed him the pic, and said the doc thought he could help. But that shaving would be necessary. I expressed my concern about shaving, as I needed to be at work on 14th of Feb and wanted to be discreet (and am in new relationship). But I accepted shaving would be necessary.

 

As I'd be back in the US at the end of Jan, they said they'd move a local patient to the next day to fit me in on the 31st of Jan if I paid a $2000 deposit. I paid on the 11th of January (in retrospect too hastily) and booked flights. After paying, I was then sent all the various payment & post-op forms, and realised the post-op care was vastly different from the last surgeon, and included not touching the recipient site for 2 weeks (in the first surgery the scabs were to be rubbed off at 7 days and I even was allowed to shave the recipient area).

 

The thought of turning up at work with scabs on my head started to scare me and gradually I got cold feet and cancelled last Friday (on the 21st) and have been informed the $2000 is gone but that I'll get a $1000 reduction should I rebook. As anyone who's been through a bad surgery knows, the thought of hopping back into the doldrums is not a pleasant one. Anyway, it was my fault for being too hasty, to the tune of $2700 (with flights).

 

So....now I'm in the situation where I've got a bad result, spent a lot of cash, and still need to get it fixed at some point. I'm thinking I (a) have to find a surgeon who won't shave down and risk getting a sub-par result or (b) get it done properly and accept that I'm going to come back to work at some point with a bizarre haircut and scabbing (I can't take more than 2 weeks off work) and be open about having had a HT. Not a pleasant thought.

 

Any advice very much appreciated!

Edited January 24, 2011 by DavidEur

[haircut]

Without knowing which Dr you used it is difficult to recommend another one :-(

[Sparky]

Dr Rahal, Dr Feller, Hasson and Wong, BHR, Dr Keser, Dr Ron Shapiro, Dr Paul Shapiro, to name a few.

[haircut]

Sparky,

 

I suppose what I was getting at is that I did not want to recommend a doctor if it was someone that he had already used. :-)

 

All of the doctors that you mentioned are excellent. Some are more known for their hairline work than others. That is all I was getting at.

[HARIRI]

To me, if i have a sensitive case like you. Which requires repair and making use of the limited grafts. I could name only 3 surgeons ... 1) RAHAL, 2) RON SHAPIRO, 3) H&W...I loved the way Shapiro repaired a patient named bulletnut. Amazing transformation, you can check it on hair transplant community.

[haircut]

I would certainly second Ron Shapiro for hairline work. I have seen his work. It is pretty amazing.

[Sparky]

Wasn't knocking what you said, just recommending some docs, I understand that you meant that we could end up recommending the doctor that gave him a bad result.

[DavidEur]

Thanks a lot for your tips guys.

 

Haircut, I understand your point, I should specify that the doc who performed the surgery is not recommended on here so I doubted his name would come up.

[RCWest]

90 percent of the IAHRS members are also recommended on here, so I would find it hard to have another bad surgery if it were actually the doctors fault. A lot of times a patients physiology plays a role but that is rare. Where exactly were 1700 grafts put? That's about enough grafts to do almost six inches of scalp at 50 percent original density. Maybe the doctor cut a smaller strip and dissected everything into one hair grafts? It's hard to tell without knowing more.

[DavidEur]

My frontal hairline was lowered by about 1.5 to 2cm, and the original hairline was thickened very slightly. I have pretty solid hair, it was just the hairline was a bit high.

 

Ironically, before I had a solid, if higher, hairline and now I have a weak, but lower, hairline. The former looked better, and in decent lighting is actually looks like my hairline is still where is was, with 'stragglers' below.

 

I never got any info on the break-up, singles, doubles etc, but it's at least done properly with only a couple of doubles on the hairline, so it doesn't look pluggy.

 

And the sides seem to have grown without even shedding. So a mixed-bag, but ultimately, it's not ideal cosmetically.

[haircut]

On the bright side, there are a lot of good doctors on this forum that can help you get closer to what you had envisioned.

[mattj]

Rubbing the scabs at 7 days could potentially have led to lost grafts. That's probably not responsible for your disappointing result but the more cautious approach to dealing with the grafted area post-op is definitely the safest. I know it's hard to tolerate the scabs, but they won't hang around too long after you start breaking them down at 2 weeks post surgery, especially when they've been softened with Vitamin E oil.

 

Do you have enough hair to comb down over the recipient zone?

[DavidEur]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

It's too short to cover the recipient zone at the moment, although if I grew it longer it would, albeit with a contrived style (it spikes straight up naturally) if I attempted to cover everything.

 

Given the eagle-eyed people I work with (and my girlfriend), I think I'd just have to accept it would be noticeable 2 weeks post-op if it's going to be done properly.

[Balboa]

To me, if i have a sensitive case like you. Which requires repair and making use of the limited grafts. I could name only 3 surgeons ... 1) RAHAL, 2) RON SHAPIRO, 3) H&W...I loved the way Shapiro repaired a patient named bulletnut. Amazing transformation, you can check it on hair transplant community.

 

 

cant find this bulletnut you refer too? the search doesn't seem to work for that name

[Sparky]

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/134995-bullitnuts-hair-loss-repair-program-shapiro-medical.html