Jump to content

1200 grafts with Dr. Glenn Charles


HurricaneDave

Recommended Posts

My profile contains my history. After research & forum lurking for 6 months, I settled on the idea that I would do a trial run. One of the most difficult things to accomplish with any elective surgery is balancing experience, reputation, and price. Normally with any medical procedure, price isn't something you really want to consider too much. As I heard one doctor say once, "Would you call around for the best price on open heart surgery or would you go to UofM?" UofM = University of Michigan which has a world class heart/lung critical care unit.... FYI. However, after short sale'ing my house this year, this nose-dived my credit severely, so financing isn't an option for the short term. So, the price factor was back on the table.

 

Taking all of these considerations into account, and in no small part feedback from other members here, I decided on Dr. Glenn Charles in Boca Raton, FL. When they contacted me initially, I was given pricing information up front. The bottom line, no unexpected extras. I like this. I'm a person who does my homework and I don't like runaround.

 

I live in Michigan, so a consult trip isn't terribly practical. I provided my pictures via email and received a followup call & email within a day. The turnaround time for information requests is awesome - hours to a day at the most. 2000-2500 grafts total was recommended.

 

I decided to start small due to my budget and because, well, I like the idea of starting small with an elective procedure. You can always do more later. I opted to start with 1000 grafts and finish the job in a couple months with a second procedure.

 

I set up my appointment about 3 weeks out and booked a 3 day trip to FL. I arrived at the office in the morning to begin. We took care of some brief paperwork, and Dr. Charles saw me immediately and reviewed the procedure, my expectations, and asked about my questions and goals. I didn't have any questions since I already knew exactly what I wanted and had researched everything. What I really liked was that he asked several times about my goals and opinions, and didn't just say "Well you need to do this and it'll be $30,000" which is exactly what one would expect out from the elective surgery industry. I stated my goals, and he agreed they were reasonable. The graft counts that both he and I estimated were right on the money.

 

Surgical prep was easy, although this was the worst part of the experience for me because I am NOT a fan of needles. Everyone explains what they will be doing, when they will do it, and what you'll feel (if anything). There were no surprises, which is good because I do not like surprises. The staff provided a menu and I picked out something for lunch. I picked out something to watch on TV, and away we went with prep. Nothing about the process hurts except the initial anesthesia. 75% of the injections are negligible pain and the remaining 25% feel like someone is pinching you in an annoying manner. It's tolerable, and you'll get through it. I just have a very hard time dealing with needles, and I had to take a couple 1 minute breaks during this process to catch my breath and stop sweating profusely. If needles don't bother you, you'll sail through this. You don't even see the needles anyway - it's just a mental thing.

 

They will check to make sure you are adequately numb and will add more anesthetic if needed. I didn't need any follow-up injections.

 

I opted for the strip method, so the donor area was obviously done first. This went very quickly and without incident. 3 staff members worked on preparing the grafts. Dr. Charles worked on the recipient site next. Before I knew it, the grafts were being set. We breaked about 12:30 for lunch which was nice. Providing lunch was a very nice touch to the process which made it more relaxing.

 

The whole process, start to finish, took about 5 hours including lunch. It didn't seem like it took that long. The time really flew by. You don't feel anything the whole time.

 

Post-op, more pictures were taken and I sat down with Dr. Charles who explained how everything went and to go over post-op medications and instructions. Everything was provided in detail, both verbally and in writing. He will show you how to use the medications such as the sprays and at what pressure to push with a gauze pad if needed. This is exceptional. I'm used to seeing hospital discharge papers which give you generic instructions and you're kicked out as fast as possible. Not the case here. Dr. Charles will take your contact info and also provide you with his cell phone number.

 

All in all, the whole process went smooth and more than exceeded my expectations.

 

I'm writing this 5 hours post-op. Pain-wise, I rate the post op pain as a 4 out of 10. It's not terrible but it's not pleasant either, which is what I was expecting. If you're ever had on a construction hard hat too tight and gotten a headache from it, this is exactly what it feels like. No more no less. It's tolerable and controllable with the pain meds & Tylenol. Don't let this deter you if you're considering the procedure. You're not going to be screaming in agony.

 

Side note - You are given meds to relax you before the procedure... likely valium or something similar. Depending on how you react to these sorts of medications, you may want to arrange transportation. I myself am not negatively affected by either pain killers or the greater family of "chill pills" (valium, Xanax, etc) so I was ok to drive, and drove myself back to the hotel. Some people space out and get all goofy on these, so plan accordingly, and as always with meds, your mileage may vary.

 

Overall this was a good experience and it was smooth sailing. Now it's just about waiting for the results.

 

Another note: Your head doesn't look especially pretty immediately afterwards, so don't have any misconceptions that no one will notice. Being a motorcycle rider, I came prepared and brought a headwrap and my Harley shirts with me so I look like any ordinary biker on the prowl. I'm not so much worried about people staring at me as I am about other people freaking out at the sight of blood & surgical wounds, so do consider that when you travel out and about. Wear a loose fitting hat or something, the last thing you need during your day is kids shrieking and moms passing out at the airport.

 

The office is located in Boca Raton and is in a very good area. I've never been to the Fort Lauderdale greater area before. Traveling through here (I stayed in Pompano Beach) has both nice and shady areas like any major metropolitan area. Like most "beach towns," the closer you are to the beach, the better the area is. Boca was great, and you won't have any issues there by the office.

 

Again, the procedure went great and my expectations were met in every way. I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out over the coming months and hopefully will have the opportunity to come back in the next couple months for "round two" to finish up the crown area, of which I need another 1500 grafts or so.

 

Final note on pricing... this was a huge win for me and definitely will make me a repeat customer here. I requested and paid for 1000 grafts. I received a travel credit which came right off the top of the bill, being an out of town shopper. I actually received more, I believe it was around 1250 grafts, at no extra cost. You can't beat that.

 

Definitely two thumbs up for Dr. Charles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

HurricaneDave,

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your pleasant hair transplant experience with Dr. Charles. I h ope you'll keep us posted on your progress and also share your pre and post-op pics with us.

 

Best of luck!

David - Former Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant

 

I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice.

 

View my Hair Loss Website

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Very detailed write up HurricaneDave.

 

Dr Charles is great surgeon, and keep us posted.

2 poor unsatisfactory hair transplants performed in the UK.

 

Based on vast research and meeting patients, I travelled to see Dr Feller in New York to get repaired.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Congratulations, HurricaneDave!! I too really respect Dr. Charles both for the quality work he produces, and his active participation in these forums! You made a great choice, and I'm looking forward to seeing updates from you along the way! Here's to quick healing and great growth for your new head of hair!

 

Best,

 

Mike

4737 FUT with Dr. Rahal on 11/16/2012

 

Daily regimen: 1/4 Proscar (1.25 mg Finasteride), Rogaine Foam (twice daily), 1000 mcg Biotin, 1 combo Vitamin D/Calcium/Magnesium, 1500 mg Glocosamine, 750 mg MSM, 1200 mg Fish Oil, 2000 mg Vitamin C, Super B-Complex, 400 I.U Vitamin E.

 

I am not a medical professional. All views and opinions expressed in this forum are of my own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Looks like very clean work as always from Dr. Charles! Can't wait to see all the new growth in several months!! Thanks for sharing your photos with us!! Happy healing HurricaneDave!!

4737 FUT with Dr. Rahal on 11/16/2012

 

Daily regimen: 1/4 Proscar (1.25 mg Finasteride), Rogaine Foam (twice daily), 1000 mcg Biotin, 1 combo Vitamin D/Calcium/Magnesium, 1500 mg Glocosamine, 750 mg MSM, 1200 mg Fish Oil, 2000 mg Vitamin C, Super B-Complex, 400 I.U Vitamin E.

 

I am not a medical professional. All views and opinions expressed in this forum are of my own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...