Review of True & Dorin. Part 1 of 3: Pre-Op

[corvettester]

Comprehensive Review of True & Dorin, FUT 1,696. Part 1 of 3: Pre-Op

 

 

What follows is a comprehensive and exhaustive review of my experience at True & Dorin. I’m organizing it into three parts. Part 1 will review everything pre-op including my first consultation and the final decision to take the plunge. Part 2 will review the day of the procedure, and the immediate follow up, post-op care. Part 3 will review the growing phase, so is yet to be published, as I am only 4 months post-op as of writing this.

 

I hope this review will help others to make an informed decision as so many of the reviews, posts, threads and blogs on the HTN helped me to make mine. The opinions express therein, are my own and on my own volition. I have not been compensated, incentivized or encouraged in any way by T&D, the HTN or any third parties whatsoever. So here goes…

 

In short, every aspect of my pre-op experience with True & Dorin was exceptional. I have nothing but praise for the care with which they handled my case. I have no complaints, criticisms or dissatisfaction with their practice and my experience in any way. Now for the long version…

 

I originally heard about T&D via the HTN and a Google search around the summer of 2009. I scoured the HTN website reading about the procedure itself and doctors who performed them. I was very pleased with the format and layout, as well as the comprehensiveness of the HTN. I also, viewed other websites, but I found the HTN to be my favorite.

 

Soon thereafter, I made an appointment with three separate HT doctors in NYC. T&D was the first clinic I went to. I managed to book a same day appointment at T&D, which I thought was just great. Plus, there is no consultation fee which, although I understand why some clinics have them, I still don’t agree with the practice.

 

That afternoon, I went to their office in midtown. My first impression of the office was very favorable. It’s very clean, professional and respectable. If anything, I was a little worried that this was going to be way out of my budget.

 

Anyway, after only a brief moment’s wait, I met with Eyal, the patient educator. Eyal is very friendly in a quite, professional and sincere way. There was no flattery, sweet talk or nonsense, just a sincere, earnest and knowledgeable person.

 

Eyal explained that he would do the initial evaluation and then I would meet with Dr. True to answer any further questions. The evaluation went well. He examined my hair, answered all my questions clearly and concisely without unnecessary digressions or anecdotes. He told me about the history of HT and the industry. Then he took pictures of my hairline, examined my density, etc…

 

Most importantly, he showed me his HT, which I thought was just great! In fact, his was the first HT that I had ever actually seen in person. I thought it looked great, really. At this point, I was all expectations. Eyal is one cool guy.

 

 

After approximately 30 minutes evaluation and conversation with Eyal, Dr. True came in. I found Dr. True to be very sincere and personable. He seemed like an experienced, wise sage in the classic sense of the term. Soft spoke, understanding and attentive, I liked him dearly. He too showed me his hair transplant, which I thought looked great as well.

 

Dr. True then proceeded to review my evaluation and discussed with me further my goals and concerns. He took his time and gave me his full attention. At not point did I feel rushed or pressured, quite the opposite in fact. I felt very at ease, comfortable and fascinated. He must have spent another 30 minutes with me which easily could have turned into an hour had I not decided to wrap things up.

 

After explaining how everything worked and what I could realistically expect, as well as the risks, he concluded that I should take a wait and see approach. Relative to others, my hair loss was not that severe—I was somewhere around a Norwood 2 or 3.

 

Dr. True cautioned against rushing into an HT prematurely. Also, he cautioned against my initial request of significantly lowering my hairline. He suggested that I should continue researching HT, as it was obvious that I’d only spent a couple hours online researching thus far, and that I should follow up with him in a year to see if the recession had progressed or subsided.

 

In passing, he mentioned that where it stood at that day, he would recommend 1,000-1,300 grafts in the temporal area and hairline, which would almost restore my hairline to it’s original position by bringing it down about 1.0-1.5 cm.

 

It’s important to understand that I have always had a high hairline or a big forehead, depending on how you look at it. So when my hair receded just 2cm in the hairline and 3.0-3.5cm in the temporal area, it looked like I was definitely going bald. It looked bad! In fact, because my hairline had always naturally been so high, even as a teenager, girlfriends of mine would mention that it looked like my hairline was receding. Hence, I have always worn my hair forward to cover my hairline and forehead.

 

Now at age 28, I had a proper widow’s peak. I had to grow my hair out especially long to cover over the loss. It was beginning to look pretty obvious. However, I was instructed wait a year to see if the recession progressed, because at age 28 it was still too early for an accurate prediction for future loss.

 

At no point did Dr. True attempt to sell me on an HT. In no way did I ever feel pressured or browbeaten. He did not attempt to paint a rosy picture of a better life for me after an HT, nor did he attempt to fear monger. Further, he commented on what a good head of hair I already had and how an HT for me was not an imminent necessity. I actually left his office feeling better than when I had entered. I was impressed with the man, his facility and staff.

 

I later went to two other HT doctors in NYC. To say the least, my experience at the other two HT clinics did not even compare to experience with Dr. True. They were immediately disregarded.

 

 

Thus almost a year went by where I dabbled online, causally researching, learning and reading about HT. My hair did continue to recede but only slightly. By the summer of 2010, I felt like I was ready to pull the trigger. The only question was, where to do it.

 

You see, I didn’t feel like only three consultations was really doing my due diligence. If I were going to go through with this, I was going to do it right. I wasn’t going to cut any corners because the risks are just too great. I have seen bad results. Even though I loved what I saw at T&D, I hadn’t made up my mind because I didn’t feel like I was qualified to make an informed decision yet.

 

So then I got back on the HTN and really got to work. I read everything I could but always found the discussion forum to be the best resource. I wrote emails, talked on the phone and viewed case profiles of hundreds of former HT clients. Thank god for a resource like the HTN and the dedicated members. Without it, I could never had made the decision to go through with the HT. I’m so glad I did now though.

 

Anyway, I did another in person consultation in NYC at a different HT clinic and five more online and phone consultations with other reputable clinics. I was definitely willing to travel to be with the doctor of my choice.

 

The other consultations went well enough. I don’t have any complaints nor were there any major red flags for the most part. However, in my opinion, none compared to my first experience at T&D.

 

So I went back to T&D for a follow up consultation. It had been over a year since my first visit there. In that year, I was never contacted or solicited by T&D in any way, shape or form. This was a huge plus for me. I don’t like unsolicited advertisements. I view such practices as acts of desperation. I believe that when you’re really good at something, business will flock to you naturally. Funny thing, to this day I still get a phone call and email every two weeks from Nuhart Clinic even though I asked them to stop calling me. Go figure!

 

At my follow up visit a year later, I met Eyal again. I grilled him with my newfound knowledge of HT and found him a welcome source of information and experience yet again. Then I spoke with Dr. True again who this time made clear that if he had his druthers, he would definitely recommend the full 1,300 grafts. In the past year, my recession had become a little more apparent, though it seemed to have abated.

 

I was glad to hear that he recommended the full 1,300. After all, I didn’t want to be too conservative. Also, most importantly, his recommendation of 1,300 grafts was still the lowest of all the previous estimations from other HT doctors with whom I had consulted. Other doctor quotes ranged from 1,500-2,700!

 

This really hit home with me. Clearly, he wasn’t trying to upsell me. Clearly, he was erring on the side of caution. I felt like I could trust him. To me, Dr. True’s integrity really shined!

 

 

Here’s a funny anecdote… while I was at a consultation with another HT doctor, the patient educator asked me who else I had seen. I told him about Dr. True and how many grafts he recommended and the price. The patient educator told me that Dr. True was one of only two doctors that he would recommend in NYC and that I would definitely be in good hands if I went with him.

 

However, just to clarify, I do not want to insinuate that the other HT doctors with whom I consulted were lesser doctors, unethical, deceptive or misleading in any way. I don’t believe they were any of those things. For this reason, I will not mention their names. My review would be remiss if I neglected mentioning my experience with other clinics. I just want to focus on T&D and how I came to chose them.

 

So by September of 2010, I had narrowed my search down to two clinics. True & Dorin in NYC and another clinic. Everyone I spoke to had nothing but good things to say about both clinics. Tuff decision then. So I decided to go back to T&D and meet with Dr. Dorin, just to see what happened because up until that point, I had only been in contact with Dr. True.

 

I was welcomed back, of course. I told Eyal how I wanted to consult with Dr. Dorin this time, just to get a better picture of their operation. He totally understood and didn't question my request at all. So I met with Dr. Dorin with whom I explained everything all over again and where I was in terms of making a decision on whom to go with. He talked with me and explained his idea for achieving my goals.

 

Dr. Dorin turns out to be a great guy too. He’s full of energy and charisma, passionate yet professional, and well spoken. I’m certain he could effortlessly beat me in arm wrestling too—the guy is in great shape. He showed me his HT too, it looked perfect as expected. Dr. Dorin, Dr. True, Eyal and Peter all have undetectable, flawless hair transplants. I simply could not tell that it was an HT with any of them, and I gave them a good inspection. I actually felt kind of bad staring at their hairline but I imagine they get that a lot. What better way to advertise your work?

 

I was pleased to hear that Dr. Dorin actually wanted to be slightly more aggressive with my hairline than his partner Dr. True. He said he wanted to up it closer to 1,500-1,600 based on my goals. I admit that I was under the spell of the “dense packing rage” that is pervasive on the HTN—deep down inside, I wanted to go up to 1,800 and I told him as much.

 

Now some people may view this minor discrepancy of opinion between Dr. True and Dr. Dorin differently than I do; however, I will say that I viewed it as a positive thing. To me, it shows independence. Even though they are partners, they’re not going to just spill out the same opinion. They think and act independently of each other. I respect this. I don’t respect conformity and uniformity in such matters. I want a man’s honest opinion. In fact, it makes me trust them even more. Ultimately, it was my choice whether I wanted 1,300 grafts or 2,500!

 

So that is what basically sealed the deal for me with T&D. It was nothing against the other clinic which commands a very respectable reputation. Fortunately for me, T&D is much more convenient, a cab ride away whereas the other clinic required a long flight. Also, T&D was much more affordable. In NY, there are no state or federal taxes on medical procedures. So I saved big in comparison with my other option.

 

One thing I noticed about T&D, which I do believe is necessary when considering an HT, is their prices. T&D commands one of the best reputations among HT clinics while maintaining some of the most competitive pricing as well. I assume it is because having two doctors cuts out a lot on overhead. However, as anyone who has ever lived in NYC knows, a midtown office the size and quality of T&D doesn’t come cheap. It’s really impressive to say the least. It looks like at HT clinic should look.

 

As for my decision to choose Dr. Dorin over Dr. True, it was basically made for me. At this point, I just wanted to take the plunge and get the HT done. So I consulted with Eyal who told me that Dr. Dorin had an opening a week earlier than Dr. True. If I have to go back for a second pass, then I will apply the same criteria. Whoever is available soonest will do my work—unless of course, in so doing, I’m breaking some sort of rule of etiquette.

 

That is the only reason I chose Dr. Dorin over Dr. True: Dr. Dorin had an earlier opening. If Dr. True had been available sooner than Dr. Dorin, then I would have went with Dr. True. By this point, I felt either of them would be great so it was only a matter of who could do it first. I was excited and anxious to get it over with. I wish I had some cool story to tell you about how one impressed me more than the other, but it really wasn’t like that. They’re both pretty sharp fellows. I felt completely comfortable with either one of them.

 

The two weeks preceding the HT were torture because that was when I was at my most obsessive point spending hours each day on the HTN. Every time I came across someone with a bad experience regardless of the clinic and doctor, I had doubts.

 

This is to be expected though. It really is a big decision. Luckily, I had developed enough of a social network on the HTN that whenever I had a doubt, there was always someone there to allay my worries.

 

Eyal and Peter, the other patient educator, as well as Dr. Dorin were all there to address my last-minute concerns and questions. I even went in for one last consultation just to finalize everything and make sure everyone was on the same page. I felt a little guilty for being high-maintenance, but I had to feel comfortable, otherwise I would never have gone through with it.

 

All the preliminary logistics of getting my prescriptions filled, paperwork completed, bill settled and personal preparation for the HT were all handled seamlessly and efficiently with the help of Eyal and Peter. At no point were there any miscommunications, setbacks or obstacles. It went very smooth.

 

I showed up early on October 18th excited and eager to have my first HT. I felt completely confident in my doctor and his staff, as well as in my decision to chose T&D. I knew exactly what to expect and was pleasantly surprised how smooth it all went.

 

In conclusion, my pre-op experience was exceptional. I have nothing but praise for True & Dorin. I would recommend them to others without reservation. In fact, I already have to several friends of mine.

 

I wish I had something to criticize about T&D as I feel it would lend more credibility to my review. I really do believe that nobody is above criticism; however, I really don’t have any complaints in my pre-op experience, which is probably the reason I chose T&D. I mean, there were definitely some things I didn’t like about some of the other clinics I consulted with. T&D just did everything so well. Their entire operation is just so seamless, professional, well planned and well executed, which are exactly the qualities I was looking for in an HT clinic.

 

This concludes my review of my pre-HT experience at T&D. If you have any questions or need clarification on anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I hope you find it helpful and useful in making your own decision. I will address the actual procedure itself, as well as the immediate follow up in part 2 of my review. In October of 2011, I will post part 3 of the review which will consist of my experience in the 11 months post-op / growth period, as well as my satisfaction with the HT final result. Until then, I got a lot of growing to do...

 

 

 

Corvettester

February 20th, 2011

NYC

Edited May 5, 2011 by corvettester
I corrected a few grammatical errors.

[JoeKid0000]

Wow, this is an amazing post. I also had a very good experience with True and Dorin, but this would have put my words to shame!

[hairthere]

Nice write up, and T&D do great work. They do, however charge a consultation fee (at least that's what I was told) which is applied to your surgery if you use them.

Edited February 23, 2011 by hairthere

[corvettester]

Nice write up, and T&D do great work. They do, however charge a consultation fee (at least that's what I was told) which is applied to your surgery if you use them.

 

If they do, it must be a new policy. When I scheduled my first consultation back in 2009, that is the first thing that I asked. They replied that there was not a consultation fee, so I went. I wasn't charged one when I went for my first consultation in 2009, nor for my second consultation in 2010... and it wasn't applied to my surgery either.

 

I also remember calling Dr. Bernstein in NYC to schedule a consultation but there was a fee of something like $175 if I remember correctly... so I didn't consult with him.

 

Corvettester

Edited February 23, 2011 by corvettester

[Sparky]

I wouldn't go with anyone who charges a consultation fee, it's not a good way to get things started as your getting treated like a cash machine from the get go.

[Bruins1]

I to just had a HT on Feb 18th with Dr Dorin...It was a excellent experience...Having had 4 HT's back in the 90's this was by far the best experience of them all...Dr Droin is top notch Doctor...Very professional and a very professional staff...although very personable...There where 2 Russian/Ukrainian woman who worked on me and kept me laughing most of the day...I knew that both had lots of experience in what they where doing and made me feel at ease..

I got the feeling from Dr Dorin that he truly wanted to make sure I felt ok..It was a long day for me (Drove 4 hours to get there) I was a bit tired from lack of sleep and he showed true concern that I felt alright...All and all I would recommend Dr Dorin to anybody.

[jaity]

I wouldn't go with anyone who charges a consultation fee, it's not a good way to get things started as your getting treated like a cash machine from the get go.

 

I actually would be happy to pay somebody with a respected professional reputation for a thorough consultation inc mapping/miniaturisation, as long as it was not extortionate. I personally think professional advice is worth paying for.

The doctors are obviously well paid but in great demand so well worth there time in my opinion.

But obviously would prefer to save my cash of course!

[corvettester]

Jaity,

 

You make a good point. No doubt, there is definite value in a professional consultation.

 

For me though, the reason I dislike the idea of a consultation fee is because, in order to do one's due diligence, one must have several consultations. In fact, I think I did eight separate consultations. If I had to pay for all eight of them, that could easily have cost over a thousand dollars. Ouch!

 

I work in sales. I have to present my product to any and all potential clients without a consultation fee even though all the information, FAQs are listed on the website and advertisements as well as free samples (obviously, it's nothing as sophisticated as an HT).

 

Basically, people just need a little face time to feel comfortable. I'm sure that the costs associated with the face time I give is factored in to the final costs of the product my company sells. I assume it's the same for HT clinics.

 

Further, I assume that costs for repair work, touch ups, refunds and liability are also included in the final costs of HTs. They have to spread out the costs to every client so that each client can have the same level of assurance whether or not they have outstanding results. I've heard stories on the forums where a poor result warranted the original doctor paying for a new HT from a different doctor when the patient didn't feel comfortable with the original doc.

 

Any successful business model would factor in such ancillary costs into the final price, and rightly so! I gladly pay extra for products that come with such quality controls and guarantees.

 

 

Corvettester

[jaity]

Good point too. I suppose it could also depend on how much is involved in a thorough consultation, and how long it takes. In relation to the cost of the surgery its probably worth giving free consultations if it attracts more customers. Then again it depends how busy the surgeon is, time is money blah blah. In my business it depends how busy I am and the nature of the job as to whether I give free estimates/consultations to prospective customers. So Im probably a little biased...

For example when I'm v busy, the last thing I want to be doing is giving free consultations in my spare time. market forces i guess

If I go to T&D I will be looking for a free consul without doubt!

Its a long way for me!

[Levrais]

I had a consult at T&D last year and they didnt charge a fee. The docs actually have a fair amount of down time during a procedure while the techs are processing and implanting the grafts. They probalby step out and do several consults during a pocedure. Im not sure I would have gone to someone who charged a fee.

[ConfusedRose]

how much was the FUT procedure?

[Sean]

How does it look today?