Am I one of the unlucky few? 4 years post strip with Dr Feller

[LondonHTseeker]

Well, Dr Feller is offering me 1250 grafts in my next surgery, which I have to admit I'm wondering if that would be enough. And hearing all this stuff about measuring the bald area for transplant etc.; to be honest I don't even know if he did that or not, like I've said I'm ignorant about HT's, even after all this time. I've never done the research. Some might say so I got what I deserved, but I think that would be a bit unfair. Surely the idea of a forum like this is to help people get great HT's without needing to become expert in it. It's interesting for me to hear the technical talk in this thread though. Corv, it does seem you have got a better result than me - why, I don't know.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Dr. Feller and LondonHTSeeker,

 

I'm glad to see you two working together in order to get LondonHTSeeker the results he ultimately deserves.

 

I would however, like some clarificaiton on the number of grafts transplanted in both procedures. At first, I thought LondonHTSeeker had only undergone one procedure. As the topic progressed and we learned he had two hair transplants, I was under the impression that the total graft count from both procedures was 2000 grafts. But LondonHTSeeker seems to indicate that 2000 grafts came from the second procedure.

 

Dr. Feller, can you clarify exactly how many grafts this patient had in the first procedure, the second procedure and total? I also strongly suggest posting immediately postoperative photos for both procedures so we can see where the grafts were placed.

 

Thanks and best wishes,

 

Bill

[LondonHTseeker]

Did anyone else save my uncensored pics?

[hairthere]

Comparing one patient's results to another's without having all the pertinent info is pointless. London, you do not need to be an expert on HTs. You did do enough research to choose a top doctor, it just sounds like there was a misunderstanding on the plan of action. I would suggest you get a copy of your chart from Dr. Feller with your surgery dates, graft count, etc., along with photos and post them here so we can all stop playing the guessing game.

 

Also, one more pass should get you to where you want to be. Good luck!

[The count Of Baldecristo]

Did anyone else save my uncensored pics?

 

this is just sad and makes me furious, things are starting to get out of control. I remember something called written consent was needed from the patient for the doctor to speak about the details of a patients case online. Now this wasnt even mentioned we just see by "mistake" the patients full face and he is on the hunt for his pics.

 

 

this is ridiculous, its a bad test for the moderators reflexes that should have picked up on it directly even before the dr removed them. I dont know if this was an honest mistake but it sends the wrong message that if you complain and you make us angry we might reveal your identity by mistake.

 

 

these things and others i see when unhappy patients of recommended docs post don't sit too well with me, for gods shake AT LEAST there should be a strict warning to the doctor not to do this mistake ever again or his posting privileges would be restricted, its unbelievable what just happened despite of londonht mild reaction which propably has to do with his upcoming surgery. I will no longer be a part of this community because no matter how some sugarcoat it and what the patient gets for free i feel the essence of things is not addressed properly. bottom line my trust to the whole setup is diminished

 

goodbye to all

Edited July 15, 2011 by Unregistered

[aaron1234]

Did anyone else save my uncensored pics?

 

I don't see why anyone would to be honest. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

And Baldecristo, mistakes happen. I actually once posted my own post-op pics from SMG with my full face unblocked before realizing it. I haven't had anyone come up to me yet and say "Hey, I saw you on HTN the other day." I don't think it's too big a deal... especially since Dr. Feller took them down as soon as he was asked.

[corvettester]

I don't see why anyone would to be honest. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

And Baldecristo, mistakes happen. I actually once posted my own post-op pics from SMG with my full face unblocked before realizing it. I haven't had anyone come up to me yet and say "Hey, I saw you on HTN the other day." I don't think it's too big a deal... especially since Dr. Feller took them down as soon as he was asked.

 

Aaron,

 

With all due respect, I think you're missing the point.

 

This is a very serious breach of privacy. The fact that Dr. Feller had to be told to take them down after they had been up all night, probably 12 hours or more, is also very troubling. This was a huge oversight!

 

What's more, Dr. Feller knew that the identity was fully revealed, yet allowed the photos to remain all night. Surely, he had the ability to disguise the identifying features, yet for whatever reason chose not to. A great deal of people saw them and I'm sure that I wasn't the only one who downloaded them, as is my custom.

 

In your case, it may be of little consequence to be exposed (it certainly is for me), but who are we to apply our standards to another member?

 

 

Lastly, it's a real shame to see Baldicristo go. I really like him as he always been a true defender of the patient. He will be sorely missed... this doesn't mean that I'm not going to PM him to try to persuade otherwise.:cool:

 

 

Corvettester

Edited July 16, 2011 by corvettester

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

this is just sad and makes me furious, things are starting to get out of control. I remember something called written consent was needed from the patient for the doctor to speak about the details of a patients case online. Now this wasnt even mentioned we just see by "mistake" the patients full face and he is on the hunt for his pics.

 

 

this is ridiculous, its a bad test for the moderators reflexes that should have picked up on it directly even before the dr removed them. I dont know if this was an honest mistake but it sends the wrong message that if you complain and you make us angry we might reveal your identity by mistake.

 

 

these things and others i see when unhappy patients of recommended docs post don't sit too well with me, for gods shake AT LEAST there should be a strict warning to the doctor not to do this mistake ever again or his posting privileges would be restricted, its unbelievable what just happened despite of londonht mild reaction which propably has to do with his upcoming surgery. I will no longer be a part of this community because no matter how some sugarcoat it and what the patient gets for free i feel the essence of things is not addressed properly. bottom line my trust to the whole setup is diminished

 

goodbye to all

 

Count

I hate to see you go, but I am thankful for this site..if it werent for this site I DOUBT that the patient and doctor would be working together at all. I know Dr Feller, or at least I think, Dr Feller is a great guy. I just feel as if this site holds doctors to certain standards and I think the mods do the best they can to keep those standards in place..Good luck to you

Edited July 16, 2011 by NEWHAIRPLEASE

[Bill - Seemiller]

Baldecristo,

 

If that's your attitude, then good riddance to you. Accidents happen and moderators aren't on duty 24/7. Here, let me show you the door!

 

Goodbye.

 

Bill

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Baldecristo,

 

If that's your attitude, then good riddance to you. Accidents happen and moderators aren't on duty 24/7. Here, let me show you the door!

 

Goodbye.

 

Bill

 

Good point Bill, I know you guys cant be here 24 hours a day. I think you guys do a great job, from what Ive seen, in trying to resolve patient and doctor issues! After all, I doubt if you have quite the same payroll as GOOGLE!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Members,

 

Dr. Feller should have definitely been more careful before posting photos. However, to slam him for making a mistake and chastising this community for not removing them fast enough is ridiculous. The photos have been removed promptly and no damage has been done. Thus, I expect this thread to get back on topic with members discussing this patient's results and providing him with the support and information he needs to meet his hair restoration goals.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[orlhair1]

LondonHT, I did not download your photos. I hope that you are able to get what you want. It does seem like another pass will get you there. I do think some of the questions raised by Corvetster are good questions that have not been answered yet and the answers would be beneficial to the forum and to you as well.

[Blake Bloxham]

Guys,

 

I hate to bring up the uncensored photo issue (as Bill previously made some great points and encouraged us all to stay on topic), but I did just want to state that I highly doubt this was done purposely or maliciously by Dr. Feller, and also that we (the moderators) highly value and protect patient anonymity and doctor patient privilege.

 

Like others have stated, this was an accident. However, I don't want to dismiss the severity of the issue and state that we will always do our best to monitor the forums as closely as possible and remove any content that is inappropriate (including information that reveals patient identity). Having said that, I really don't think it's worth leaving the discussion forums over, nor do I believe Dr. Feller did this on purpose at all.

 

Again, sorry for further derailing the thread! I hope this is clarified and we can all continue discussing the matter at hand.

[LondonHTseeker]

Yeah, nevermind about the photo thing, I doubt anyone will be keeping copies.

 

Dr Feller's post at 19 gives the clearest demonstration for me of why my result hasn't come off as I had hoped, and it also gives me hope that the next op will fix it. I'm grateful for the example because it does set me at ease with things a lot more. I may have had quite a few grafts already, but it was a pretty big area to fill over the front of my big old bonce, so given the photographic example at 19, my current result seems within what could be expected so far.

 

I'll also point out that the photos I have put up are the harshest possible. Under less direct lighting and with bit of styling it's nowhere near as noticeable. That's why I've been putting up with it; still, time to fix it now.

Edited July 16, 2011 by LondonHTseeker

[LondonHTseeker]

continued photos:

 

Here's the post I'm referring to.

[TC17]

I would be upset if my photos were posted, but let's be honest, Dr. Feller made a mistake and the mistake was fixed. Londonlad is OK with everything, and that is what is most important.

 

Questioning a result, the planning that went into the surgery, and finally the communication between a doctor and patient are all valid and important points. Focusing on a collateral matter, in this case the photos, does nothing more than divert attention from the important points raised. If you hang around these forums long enough you will see that clinics occasionally post a photo without blacking out the face. I'm not saying that it's OK to do that, I'm simply saying that mistakes happen, and I highly doubt there is ever malicious intent behind those mistakes.

 

To help bring the attention back to the topic at hand, I wonder what everyone thinks about a hair transplant that cannot stand alone by itself. If a patient tells a doctor he will return for a subsequent surgery, and the doctor plans as though there will always be a second surgery, and the patient does not return for the second surgery thus leaving an unsatisfactory result, whose fault is that? Obviously the patient has personal responsibility, but we also all know that life happens, and sometimes a second surgery becomes impossible. Should a doctor alwaysperform a surgery that can stand alone, just in case? Or, should the doctor follow the patient's wishes, even if that means performing a first surgery that will not stand alone? It's easy to say "take it on a case by case basis", but I think there should be relatively bright line rule that should only be deviated from in rare circumstances.

 

Personally, I believe that all surgeries should stand alone, regardless of what the patient says about his future intentions, because the future is unpredictable.

[Ahairdown]

IMO, makes more sense that as a standard, if you are posting pictures of another person you block out at least their orbital area as to preserve anonymity regardless if the patient disclosure form was signed. That’s what I would do anyways. If it wasn’t signed however, it’s unacceptable to not do this. Period, end of story. Baldecristo made valid points that should not have been dismissed as good riddance.

What bothers me the most about this thread though are the valid questions that Corv asked - and neither the doc, rep, or patient (most likely because he doesn't have the info) answered.

Let me restate two of the more important ones:

1) How many TOTAL grafts were used between the two procedures, 2000 or 3250?

2) What were the graft breakdowns? Was this guy all ones and twos, or were there a lot of 3’s and 4’s which are normal for a donor type that has fine hair?

The guy obviously has very fine hair which didn’t help his result, but clarification on these items may help resolve a lot of the confusion that’s apparent in this thread.

[chavtastic]

The problem with this thread is that the patient's welfare seems to be a side issue.

 

On the one hand you have corvette attempting to diminish this particular doctor's reputation in quite an underhand way (which I've noticed is not for the first time). Having said that, some of this issues he has raised, are real enough. And most of them have not been addressed.

 

And on the other hand you have Spex who defends the clinics reputation no matter what. Customer service and patient satisfaction are treated as secondary issues in order to sustain the reputation of Dr.Feller on this forum. That is completely and totally out of balance with how it should be. Let's remember that the patient is the most important thing here.

 

I don't see this as a proper and fair assessment of the situation that London has brought up. Granted, a fair and reasonable conclusion has been reached, but the way it's reached doesn't fill me with confidence, and I'm sure the neutral posters are quite the same. In reality I think you are damaging your reputation more than protecting it - by defending yourself so strongly I wonder myself if I would be treated in the same way should I become a patient of yours?

[LondonHTseeker]

Thanks for the words of support there Spex.

 

Ahairdown: The first strip was 1250 grafts, second was 2000. I've been vague about this because I couldn't remember before. Earlier in the thread Dr Feller said the grafts were mainly ones.

 

TC17: I much prefer my hair now compared to before surgery. Although the hairline needs thickening up, with a bit of styling most people don't notice this; which is why I've given it so long, I've had other stuff to do and it hasn't been top of the agenda. If it had been first on my to do list I would have contacted Dr Feller years back.

 

chavtastic: Spex has been genial and responsive to me, relaying Dr Feller's thoughts via email efficiently and politely, making very clear that he wanted to help. It wasn't my intention for this thread be a reputation harmer for Dr Feller and I don't think it is. I just needed feedback, as I wasn't up on the technicalities and needed a range of advice - for which the thread has been very useful. I'd have to be a pretty churlish sod to be ungrateful to Dr Feller, especially in view of some of the horror stories I've been reading here. I mean how about the horrific plug surgeries of old, in comparison to that kind of butchery my result is a miracle. It is now apparent to me that the main source of what has been my dissatisfaction with the result comes down to some slight miscommunication between me and Dr Feller at the time of surgery, which I compounded by being incommunicado for so long after surgery (which is obviously my fault only). While I see your point taken in the context of some relatively minor things Dr Feller said regarding me which required me to defend myself (although I understand he was slightly frustrated), it's untrue to suggest that customer service and patient satisfaction are disregarded by Dr Feller and Spex. Also, the surgery staff were very pleasant and respectful. I once won 30 000 pounds from a surgeon for malpractice and that experience is a far cry from what is happening here, there is no comparison.

Edited July 17, 2011 by LondonHTseeker
grammar

[chavtastic]

London - I think you've missed the point I'm trying to make.

 

I have absolutely no doubt that Dr.Feller is a top class surgeon - the results you see on here are testament to that. He also seems like quite a decent sort of person aswell.

 

What I'm saying is that if there is a hint of dissatisfaction then that needs to be addressed first and foremost. It has taken 7 pages of posts to bring this to a suitable conclusion whereby you have been offered a discounted surgery.

 

From what I have seen on this forum (and I'm more of a lurker than a poster) is that sometimes more onus is placed of defending one's reputation than there is on presenting a solution. Look back at the first few post's from Spex and tell me what you think? We have to remember that you are a patient and a paying customer.

 

I don't have any agenda whatsover, so I'm just calling it how I see it. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me slightly cautious about having surgery with Dr.Feller. If things didn't go well would I have to come on here with photo's etc before my concerns were addressed? Or would I be treated like a customer and get the after care that should be part and parcel of this experience? I don't know the answer to that but, as I said, this kind of thread throws up doubts.

[LondonHTseeker]

When I compared mine and Corv's results earlier in this thread it seems I didn't appreciate the difference in area we've tried to cover. My transplant area is bigger, I think. Hairgirl's coverage is looking good though.

 

chavtastic I see what you're saying. I'm not in a position to judge what the history of the forum is because I'm a newcomer here. But Spex has been arranging the solution with me through emails instead of on the forum, by being the go-between for me and Dr Feller, so in evaluating Spex solely on his posts here you're getting a one-sided view which misses his behind the scenes work with me. The aftercare is there for Dr Feller's patients, my mistake in that regard was that I went incommunicado for a few years.

Edited July 17, 2011 by LondonHTseeker

[Ahairdown]

London, I really want to thank you for coming on here and sharing your results. They aren't good, but this could be a learning experience for newbies doing their research in that the placement of the hairline is critical if they happen to run into this thread. I've sure learned a lot

 

I hope you get resolution promptly on this and good luck. Hopefully you'll come back here and share your follow up results.

[orlhair1]

London, Glad you have worked things out. I am sure things will turn out great for you. Sorry this thread took a few wrong turns. You have been very professional in all your posts on here. I wish you the best in achieving the final results you are looking for and it sounds like you have things worked out to get that done.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

London

Like everyone is stating I'm glad things have worked out or is in the process of working out. Good luck in the future and certainly keep us updated. I'm sure you are in store for good things!

[LondonHTseeker]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Things still seem quite a long way from working out for me on this yet though. It's actually bothering me more now since I've registered here, something to do with focusing my attention on it I guess.

 

Ahairdown, what do you mean about placement of the hairline, out of interest? I guess you're suggesting I should have gone for a higher hairline then lowered it on another visit? Personally I think the low hairline is good, it's just the density that blows, maybe I should have had more grafts in one sitting...