Upcoming Hair Transplant with Dr. Alan Feller of Great Neck, New York - Questions

[PasqualeJustWantsHair]

i just have a quick question. I am scheduled in 10 days to get my 1st hair transplant. My crown area is completley bald and have a receding hairline. I wanted both to be done hopefully in 1 procedure.However I was told I only have enough donor hair at this time to fill-in the crown(1200grafts). & that I have to come back in the future to do the front hairline.

My question is how is this individual able to have 4500 grafts extracted in 1 procedure??? & I can only have 1200 grafts?

NOTE: I am much younger thatn this patient and also have coarse hair

 

Thank YOU

[Capelli11]

In a nutshell...it is all about putting your head in the hands of a skilled surgeon. The best surgeons on this site can do mega sessions...which is what this case is and means a larger session...1,200 is not considered a mega session. May I ask what doctor you are going to?

 

Also based on your question you may want to research this site more in that there is such a wealth of information available that you will become an expert in choosing who you should go to. It sounds like you should be able to get more than 1,200. Again, it is all about choosing a skilled surgeon who can help you out. Hasson and Wong who did this persons head are one of the best in this industry. If I were you I would consult with them and/or visit their website for more cases like this so you can compare your personal situation to their patients.

[PasqualeJustWantsHair]

Thank U for responding & responding swiftly.

I am scheduled for HRTwith Dr. Alan Feller.. He's a well respected & honest HRT Physician.

He said that, "in order to fill in my completley bald crown, he will need to dense pack as many grafts as I can provide. In my case it will take all the available donor hair that I have for this particular session."(which he mentioned would be 1200grafts).

I uploaded a pic. of my crown. What do you think?

 

 

Thanks again

Edited March 21, 2012 by PasqualeJustWantsHair

[Capelli11]

Dr. Feller is highly regarded on this site so you chose well. I don't personally see 1,200 grafts being enough to fill that section. I would say at least 3k grafts based on what I have seen on this site. The crown area is known as the black hole of grafts...meaning it takes a lot of grafts to cover that area. Search around for other patients that have had their crown done and you can notice how many grafts they needed to cover it. I have seen at least 3k give or take to give it real good density and/or coverage. Did the doctor say you didn't have good donor hair available? Is this your first HT?

 

Also...are you on Propecia and/or Rogaine? If not, you should consider it.

[PasqualeJustWantsHair]

He mentioned that I have really good, coarse donor hair to make a successful restoration. This will be my first time having a HRT.

I planned on using Propecia after my procedure which in on March 29th.

He also mentioned if I chose to have my hair more dense in the future, that I could,but I may be satisfied with the first procedure.

I don't believe he would lie to me... However I felt it was a bit unusual that he felt i only needed 1200 grafts

Edited March 21, 2012 by PasqualeJustWantsHair

[Capelli11]

Some doctors are more conservative than others...also some patients are conservative and don't mind going back for a second procedure to increase density vs. having one larger procedure. Which category would you think you fall under? Are you looking for some coverage so you don't see the bald spot? Or are you looking to have greater density in that your spot is nearly not as noticeable?

[Capelli11]

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/160880-dr-rahal-2597-grafts-crown-my-2nd-hair-transplant-may-09-2011-a.html

 

Here is a link to a patient of Dr. Rahal's. His spot is a lot less than yours and he had a lot more grafts...he had 2 procedures...follow his case and you will see how your graft count could compare to his. Hope this helps.

[Capelli11]

Hair Restoration Journal for El Nino - Pre Op and Post Op

 

Here is his website in case you couldn't find it...it shows his progression with his first and second HT...check it out. You can see how perhaps 1,200 won't give you a lot of coverage/density...you will probably have to go back for at least a second procedure.

[PasqualeJustWantsHair]

I guess I am looking for more of both coverage & a bit density... I requested to have more grafts done in my 1st procedure due to my lack of desire to continue with more procedures on my crown.... but he was pretty direct about how much donor hair was available (even though I have good donor hair)

[Capelli11]

I obviously don't know what he said and/or saw during your consult with him so I'm not second guessing him as he is in fact the surgeon...however...just judging from other crown pics and procedures...1,200 is not enough to cover a spot like yours...you will pretty much need to go back for more. Again...unless he said your donor area isn't good in that he can't harvest more.

[PasqualeJustWantsHair]

Thanks Capelli for taking the time out to explain & answer my questions.

I REALLY appreciate it... Is it possible for me to contact Dr.Feller personally on this site as well?

I just joined so I'm not sure If I can or cannot...

[Capelli11]

No prob. I would speak to him over the phone and not utilize this site to communicate with him. This site is best used for us the users...to research and see results. I would give him a call and handle it that way behind the scenes. If you need to email me you def can to let me know how it goes. I wouldn't worry in that he is a skilled surgeon and has produced a lot of nice results. However, if you have hung around this site enough you could perhaps make an inference that 1,200 doesn't seem like it would be enough to give you what you may want. Again this is my opinion but you can see based on researching that this could be the correct one. Hope I helped.

[PasqualeJustWantsHair]

U really did help.... Thanks for taking the time out...

REALLY appreciate it...

[bonkerstonker]

I get the feeling that Dr Feller has noticed you have a tight scalp so he can only remove a small strip of donor which seems to contain 1200 grafts which is unlucky for you but what he's saying is in another year after this strip your scalp will stretch a little giving you chance of another strip session. The reason why other people like me can 5000 plus grafts in one session is because we have very slack scalps I personally have freakishly good laxity in the donor, I've had over 8000 grafts and i still have loads of slack. I would never of had a ht if I had a tight scalp I think it's just like pissing in the wind as its likely a time will come when you don't have enough donor to fill your loss so you'll be left with a scar so you can't shave your hair off or a island of ht hair on your head with bald areas around looking very weird.

[orlhair1]

I get the feeling that Dr Feller has noticed you have a tight scalp so he can only remove a small strip of donor which seems to contain 1200 grafts which is unlucky for you but what he's saying is in another year after this strip your scalp will stretch a little giving you chance of another strip session. The reason why other people like me can 5000 plus grafts in one session is because we have very slack scalps I personally have freakishly good laxity in the donor, I've had over 8000 grafts and i still have loads of slack. I would never of had a ht if I had a tight scalp I think it's just like pissing in the wind as its likely a time will come when you don't have enough donor to fill your loss so you'll be left with a scar so you can't shave your hair off or a island of ht hair on your head with bald areas around looking very weird.

 

I agree. I think the fact that everyone has different characteristics is sometimes lost in comparing results, available grafts, etc. There are just so many factors that go into what can and can't be done for any given individual.

[Ukresponder]

Don't under estimate what 1200 grafts of 3/4 hair untis with coarse hair can do. It all individual. He will be packing in the multiple hair grafts which by definition will giv eyou more coverage than singles and of course no quality surgeon would waste singles inthis area but when taking strip you get around 20% singles per strip.

 

Just see my Ht's i had 400 or so into the mid scalp, I said is that all?

 

Trust me here what ever the number of grafts Dr feller think you will need believe me the job will be done with the number he thinks. Even though he says 1200 he may get more and he will stick em in .

 

This guy treats each patient like a work of art the last thing you want to be doiing is questioning the amount of grafts he has quoted based on other pics and peoples opinions.

 

Look at it this way.....

 

How many Dr feller patients went over there for a procdeure and 12 months later said rubbish and only got a partial result through lack of grafts???

 

I can't see any?

 

The final graft number and decsion will be made on the day. This is not for you to worry about.

 

Youl will get the right result with the haisr that are needed

 

now stop stressing and think about what you might want to do in new york if you have a spare day or two come back and post the enjoyable results over the next year

 

best

Uk R

Edited March 24, 2012 by Ukresponder