Anyone heard of Dr. Vories

[brianK]

Anyone heard of Dr. Vories in South Carolina? I heard his commercial on the radio -- the very first commercial we've ever had in Myrtle Beach re: a hair transplant doctor in South Carolina. He claims to use a technique called the "Transfollic Technique." Anyone heard of this technique? His website (http://www.transfollictechnique.com) doesn't explain much, but it has me curious.

[Robert_]

hmmm, I am going to check on this. Thanks for the heads up. I have never heard of him. Myrtle Beach commerials don't reach to Columbia. Who knows? Maybe I'll pay him a visit and check him out just for fun .

 

**Update** - Just took a look at the site. He practices out of Mt. Pleasant (just outside of Charleston). From the looks of it, he does strip. It says that he is a member of the ISHRS (which, unfortunately, doesn't say much) and that he has been practicing hair transplantation surgery since 2002. So, he is a newbie to the profession, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? I will definitely be looking into his practice, as there are currently NO other hair restoration physicians in South Carolina that I know of. If I can get my hands on some before/after pictures I will let everyone know how they look (and post them if I get permission). The site also says that he does up to 3000 grafts in a session. Worth looking into in my opinion.

 

-Robert

[the B spot]

Your kidding Right?

 

I am completely supportive of people offering new Docs and clinics for us to review or check out.

 

However, we don't send people who are in need of solid information and education to unproven Docs.

 

There is a reason why we "brag" about the docs in our Coalition--- their among the best in the world.

 

Nothing I see or read on the website tells me your Doc belongs in the Big Leagues.

 

Your Welcome

J

[the B spot]

I sorry vett, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.

 

As far as the adult section, perhaps you could offer some before and afters of your personal work or the work of Dr. Vories? That way, we can all discuss and review your Docs work as a community of adults.

 

I just thought with your post and the fact that you have been around since '02 that you couldn't be serious when you held your Doc, work unseen, up to par with the work of our Coalition Docs.

 

My fault if I misinterpreted you in some fashion.

 

Take Care,

J

[the B spot]

Thanks Vett.......

 

Your last post was more indicative of what I thought you were trying to say in your initial post.

 

Unfortunately, this site gets a fair share of shills trying to promote Docs, without any real thought or concern for those who will step into the fire without any research.

 

My posts were intended to solicit a response from you to A. Prove your associate with this Doc. or B. Have you post the honest and real experiences you just stated in your last post.

 

I hope you are doing well and I hope that you will spend a greater amount of time here.

 

I am certain your clinic will have before photos, if you care to share them with us.

 

Take Care,

J

[Michael A.]

I'd like to see some of those photographs as well,esp. since you've been in this game for so look. My friend lives in South Carolina, half an hour from myrtle beach, I'm actually heading there March 9th, it's like an eleven hour drive from New York. I'll think I'll head a little farther South to Charleston, when I'm there. Thanx for the tip, when I got back I'll tell you what i thought of Doc V.

~thanx for the tip vette

[Michael A.]

No thank you, I have so much respect for people dealing with balding issues, I am fascinated by the entity of it's topic. I just want to gather info. for future gratifacation b/c i know one day I'll be noticable balding. Damn our testosterone. Yeah i'll NEVER, ever be fat, but I might go bald. I take Kolic garlic for cholesterol(testosterone is derived from cholesterol) on top of Vitamin E, 800 IU a day, 320mg of Saw Palmetto a day, Papaya enzyme(to break down protein), what can I say I care about my health. I'll def. check out Doc Vories, and get back to you guys by late March. I hope he's everything you say he is.

Thanx Vette

[the B spot]

Hey Mike, have you checked out any of our Coalition Docs located in New York?

 

While I welcome the chance for your report on Dr. Vories, I would hope that you check out 1-2 top clinics as a frame of reference (if you haven't already) before your trip to S. Carolina.

 

Anyway, glad that you are finding your way around the site, and I look forward to your report!

 

Take Care,

J

[the B spot]

Vette--- yeah several docs have used some type of vibrating device to reduce the pain of the numbing process.

 

I have gotten some mixed views on this....

 

I tolerated the Valium "sleepy time" and the injections were not so bad.

 

Anyway, glad to hear about your experiences,

Take Care,

J

[erldette]

Board Certified in what? Not in hair if you check the ABHRS website.

[Bill - Seemiller]

vett,

 

I admit I haven't read every post above, but I think you have to understand something. Since this doctor really hasn't been heard of in this community and he hasn't heard of this community, nobody here will be able to comfortably recommend his work to anyone, despite any credentials or qualifications. Whereas in our legal system we stand by "innocent until proven guilty", in the world of hair transplantation, it's "Unknown until proven qualified/unqualified". I think that's the best way to state it since a number of doctors are mentioned and they MIGHT be good and they MIGHT not be.

 

But we are interested in facts and results. That being said...we'll be honored if you'd share the facts you've accumulated about him over your time, however, try to keep in mind that board certifications aren't that impressive, nor are memberships to any organizations. This doesn't mean that these boards don't hold some merit...but the problem is that even unqualified doctors have been known to be board certified and members of various hair transplant organizations.

 

This is typically what we look for in a doctor when we are recommending them on this community:

 

http://www.hairlosslearningcenter.org/hair-loss-content...ined-transplants.asp

 

Doctor's who have met this criteria have proven to be the best of the best. Perhaps Dr. Vories is one of them...but we'd need to see evidence of this before we'd recommend him here.

 

I do look forward to seeing photos or any other piece of solid information you want to share with us.

 

Bill

[vett82ce]

Originally posted by Bill:

vett,

 

I admit I haven't read every post above, but I think you have to understand something.Bill

 

It's too bad you did'nt read "every post" before you posted because I'm going to just delete them all. I'm not going to lend Dr. Vories good name to this forum, when it is obviously just a "click", so that it can be hacked and butchered by any passer by. I don't think he would appreciate me including him here where he can't defend himself in such a judgmental forum.

Good Job.

[Michael A.]

thanx for the advice J,

NO i haven't check out any coalition doctor's in New York, actually i want to Hair Club for Men on 3 Wembley Court, 2nd Floor, Albany, NY, 12205. On feb. 13th. I got a scalp analysis, i think it's called a minituarization, and having dark hair is easy to see the damage on your white scalp, as i predicted i think I'll be a Norwood 3V, if i don't do anything about it. The women suggest Extreme Hair Therapy, the one by Dr. Gaffney, well honestly the women there made me fell uncomfortable, it was more like a threat than a solution. I was basically like "If you don't pay us for the EXT, your gonna lose your hair." I realize this already, why the f*/* am i here for dumb B%#*^.

Well J, do you have any recommendations of Coal. Docs. in NY.

Thanx

~MAF

[the B spot]

Dr's Feller, Epstein, Bernstein, True and Dorin.

 

I think these Docs would be a great start and really educate you as too your particular situation.

 

Please let us know how things go and your perceptions regarding the process.

 

Take Care,

J

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Sorry that I'm late to this topic. Hairbanks just gave me a heads up on this topic (thanks).

 

Apparently member "vett82ce" made some comments which he has since chosen to delete so I don't know all the details of this topic.

 

However, we are always open to learning about all hair restoration physicians, especially from their patients.

 

When I visit a given area in search of the best hair transplant surgeon I try to leave no rock or stone uncovered. So when I was in South Carolina during August of 2005 I did speak with Dr. Vories on the phone on August 10th to potentially visit his clinic. At that time he said he was going to get out of the hair transplant practice. Frankly, he seemed discouraged with hair transplantation. Thus I did not visit his clinic.

 

Perhaps he has persisted? Apparently so. But too little is known about the quality of his work at this point for him to be recommended on the Hair Transplant Network.

 

Perhaps we will learn more about him.

 

Pat

[Bill - Seemiller]

It's too bad you did'nt read "every post" before you posted because I'm going to just delete them all. I'm not going to lend Dr. Vories good name to this forum, when it is obviously just a "click", so that it can be hacked and butchered by any passer by. I don't think he would appreciate me including him here where he can't defend himself in such a judgmental forum.

Good Job.

 

vett82ce,

 

Apparently you took my post as harsh...but I don't know why. I'll assure you it wasn't intended that way. I just reread my post and don't see anything insulting in it. So it seems your post here has shown that you have no interest in producing facts, just hype. I'm sorry you are choosing to be that way. But so be it.

 

I echo what Pat has to say...we ARE always interested in learning about new doctors...I thought I made that clear...but to learn about new doctors, we have to see evidence. A picture is worth a thousand words for starters.

 

In reading the above posts, I don't see anyone who has slandered Dr. Vories...so I'm not sure why you are calling this forum judgmental.

 

Anyway...the invitation remains open if you want to share your story or photos. But the choice is yours.

 

Bill

[the B spot]

BTW----"click" is actually spelled "clique"--------Just so we are all on the same page

 

I have no problem with Vette--- but I found it a bit discouraging that someone who has been a member for many years to suddenly show up and start pushing a Doc so strongly.

 

I looked at Dr. Vories work--- it was not very impressive, in my opinion.

 

However, I asked for some current pics before making a final judgement and I was rebuffed for my "inquisitive nature"

 

Any new Doc almost has to be treated as "poor quality" until we find out more about them.

 

It is not personal, as some would like to believe.

 

Anyway, I still think Vette is a stand-up guy and I applaud him for removing his comments---- He feels strongly about his experience and I am glad that he is happy.

 

Take Care,

J

[Eagle 1]

Permanent, safe, and natural-looking results for hair loss is now available in South Carolina.

 

Why you should consider Vories Medical Group for Hair Restoration Surgery:

"?? Uses your own hair.

"?? Results are permanent.

"?? A personalized technique.

"?? Provides a natural-looking appearance.

"?? Convenient, outpatient surgical procedure.

"?? All consultations with Dr. Vories are complimentary.

 

Michael W.Vories, M.D. ABHRS, a hair restoration patient himself, uses the most proven technique of follicular unit micrografting.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Eagle,

 

This forum is not to be used for solicitation purposes. If you are affiliate with the clinic and would like to post here, please add your affiliation with Dr. Vories into your forum signature as per our terms of service.

 

Additionally, a picture is worth a thousand words. Post some compelling before/after pictures with surgical details including graft/hair counts in our "hair transplant patient photo albums" section.

 

You are going to convince very few seeking hair transplant patients with words.

 

Bill

[NW3VKY]

I have been looking at Dr Vories' practice and his surgery centers recently. He does NeoGraft exclusively now. I know there is a lot of stigma attached to NeoGraft and I have read all the negative comments by the esteemed Drs on this site, as well as some experts.

 

I would be glad to copy in his site address here, for you all to look at it and give me some feedback, but I did not want to violate any "promotion" criteria. I am just a prospective patient and just want some honest feedback.

 

Pros: Dr Vories and NeoGraft

* FUE procedure - no linear scar

* quicker recovery

* cost is about the same as FUT- $4/graft

* within driving distance

* Dr extracts and places all grafts (many NeoGraft offices, only technician does both)

* Medical Dr and he focuses on hair surgery only

* Hair transplants for 10 yrs

* Have spoken to many of his patients and they are very complimentary and satisfied

* Carolina Hair Surgery says on his site that he offers - 85% survival guaranteed (need to clarify how measured)

* I have seen about 25 videos on YouTube of his work - seems credible

* Have seen 2 patients in person and looked at the work and seen before and after - one was crown very similar to mine and the restoration of the crown was very good

 

 

Cons: NeoGraft and this office (from what I have learned on this site and my research)

* Hypopigmentation and many small 1mm dot scars - although not as detectable on short hair cut

* More collateral damage to grafts due to dessication and transection, less yield

* Dr only uses .8mm punch - which can not easily extract a 3 or 4 follicle unit - less density

* Have surfaced my concern of density and he states he does capture some 3 and 4 units with .8mm in Caucasions (seems dubious since avg 2 unit is .78mm and I think 3 unit diameter at bulb is about .86) - again, maybe with fine hair like have and being Caucasion, that is feasible

* Torsional stress can lead more failure and graft viability

* Suction can cause graft viability and dessication issues

* Could be less "density" and larger grafts than I may get from traditional FUT

* Since my area is the crown, I am just concerned that I can not get enough density from 1 and 2 unit grafts

 

So, there it is. I am still considering both FUE and FUT, need about 2000 grafts in Vertex - I am a NW Type 3V.

[Bill - Seemiller]

NW3KVY,

 

While NeoGraft as a company has received some well deserved criticism, the NeoGraft device as a tool that extracts follicular units is another story.

 

Recently, Dr. Vories emailed me about the possibility of being considered for recommendation by our community. Once I learned that he used the NeoGraft machine for follicular unit extraction, I shared my concerns and asked him to address the controversy from his point of view. I was impressed with his answer which is in line with my thinking as well. Below is a copy of my and Dr. Vories' conversation about the NeoGraft:

 

Bill:

 

As you may or may not be aware, there's been a lot of controversy surrounding the NeoGraft Hair Transplant Machine over the last couple of years, mostly due to their aggressive marketing campaign to patients and neophyte doctors and technicians. The initial claims by the company were that the NeoGraft could be used by anyone and ultimately replace skilled and experienced surgeons. Moreover, they attempted to market their device as an actual procedure, referring to FUE hair transplantation with their tool/device as the NeoGraft Hair Transplant. Their harmful marketing strategies has left a bad taste in the mouth of the overall patient community and amongst experience surgeons. What are your thoughts on this?

 

Dr. Vories

 

I understand and appreciate your concern regarding NeoGraft, the company, as opposed to NeoGraft, the machine. My relationship with NeoGraft, the company, is limited to purchasing two of the machines. I do not agree (and have stated so at the Anchorage ISHRS Conference) with the marketing of the machine to untrained providers. I have agreed to the uncompensated help of training a few physicians who have come to my clinic. Furthermore, it is my personal experience with my state medical board that the extraction of FUE grafts is a non-delagable task, and unlicensed providers who perform this task are operating outside of all (not most) medical board practice acts.

 

This came up when I presented my PA's scope of practice to my medical board. The scope was approved by the board, but not without discussion that this was a "gray area" for a licensed physician assistant. I do not believe a medical board in any state, when presented with a complaint (which is inevitable) that will agree that that extractions can be delagated to unlicensed personnel. This is even worse if the board discovers these are "gypsy" techs who come in under the guise of the "supervision" of a physician untrained in HRT.

 

That being said, I also believe the NeoGraft machine is a wonderful tool when used by a properly trained physician for FUE. The suction allows me to only enter the first 2-3 mm of the dermis to "grip" the follicle. FUE will always have greater transection rates than FUT, but by transecting the upper third of the follicle the NeoGraft machine, in theory, would make these transections un-consequential since neither the "bulb" or the "bulge" are disturbed. This topic needs to be discussed (and will be discussed) in San Francisco.

 

In the end, I am a hair restoration physician who uses the NeoGraft machine, not a NeoGraft physician. I have performed over 1000 FUT procedures, both with and without trichophytic closures. To me the NeoGraft is a tool, just as the Hans Implanters are a tool (an under-discussed tool). I do worry over NeoGraft, the company, and their long term viability. If they had chosen to market the machine to surgeons who perform HRT, so much of this could have been avoided. Again, I hope this helps with your determination of my practice.

 

-----

 

I personally respect and agree with Dr. Vories point of view on the device versus the company. At the end of the day, the NeoGraft machine is just a tool like many others and it has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. In the right hands, I suspect it is a valuable tool. But it's just one out of dozens that physicians can use to produce an optimal outcome for patients.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Bill - Seemiller]

NW3KVY,

 

So to correct your statement....Dr. Vories does not "do NeoGraft exclusively" now. He performs exclusive follicular unit extraction and his extraction device of choice is the NeoGraft machine.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Blake Bloxham]

That's a pretty satisfactory answer. While there still is some concern with graft desiccation and additional graft trauma if vaccum portion of the NeoGraft if used, Dr. Vories does bring up an interesting point with only possibly transecting the infundibulum (and not the bulge cell containing isthmus or the dermal papilla containing inferior 1/3rd).

 

Thank you for sharing his reply, Bill!