Regular Member odlantern Posted February 21, 2014 Regular Member Share Posted February 21, 2014 I am a new member here and just wanted to share my experience with the hair transplant I had earlier today with Dr. Ivan Cohen in Connecticut. My decision to have the procedure done with him was based on information I obtain in the forums and reviews here. I had the ARTAS robotic FUE procedure done. I will try to post here my progress, including pictures, over the next year or so as my new hair grows in (hopefully I will remember to do this over such a long period). I was very happy with the procedure itself. Dr. Ivan Cohen and his staff were exceptionally friendly and made the whole process much easier and stress free than I was expecting. Tonight, Dr. Cohen personally called me to check up on me and make sure I was OK. Overall, I got the impression that Dr. Cohen really cares about his patients and the results they receive. I went to a few other places around Massachusetts where I just didn't get that feeling that the doctor cared. I had around 1000 grafts for a receding hairline (best guess somewhere between class 2 and class 3 hair loss) and Dr. Cohen expects great results due to the type of hair I have and the fact that he 'really packed the grafts in'. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my hair turns out well. My whole life I have been very unhappy with the way I look, confidence being a major issue for me. If this turns out well, I know this will make a big difference in my life. the surgery finished at 2:30pm today and I am currently experiencing only very minor discomfort. No swelling yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted February 21, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 21, 2014 Here are some pictures of me before the procedure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted February 21, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 21, 2014 Here is a rather flattering picture of how I look right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TakingThePlunge Posted February 21, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted February 21, 2014 odlantern, Congratulations! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I'm looking forward to your photos and following your progress. 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 More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted February 22, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 22, 2014 Day 2, no pain. I was given pain medication but didn't need to take it. I slept fine last night. I am concerned that 1000 grafts may not have been enough. I'm somewhat worried my hairline will be too high or not dense enough. I normally have very thick wavy hair, but it looks thing and stringy in this picture due to it not being washed in a while and the graftcyte solution I had to put on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted February 22, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 22, 2014 This is probably a dumb question, but how do I change the title of this entire thread? I think it would be good to include Dr. Cohen's name in the title in case people want to search for results with his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TakingThePlunge Posted February 22, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted February 22, 2014 This is probably a dumb question, but how do I change the title of this entire thread? I think it would be good to include Dr. Cohen's name in the title in case people want to search for results with his work. I've added Dr. Ivan Cohen to the title of your thread. 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 More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted February 23, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 23, 2014 Just a quick post: 2 days out from the surgery and there is no pain or swelling. A lot of the redness is gone. The donor and recipient areas are slightly itchy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikingsFan40 Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Hi, I just came across this post and wanted to see how your progress is going. I will be seeing Dr. Cohen for a consultation in a few weeks and was also thinking of the robotic FUE procedure as well. Have you also started taking propecia? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Pulpedfiction1 Posted June 27, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted June 27, 2014 Congrats on the procedure. I just had my 3rd (and final...knock on wood..) HT this week. I had consulted with your surgeon a couple of years ago, before deciding to have my procedure with a different doctor. The reason I decided to go with another surgeon was the fact that he didnt mention requiring 2 (or more) procedures to get the results most people would be seeking. The surgeon I decided to go with made it very clear from the start that one procedure--while providing significant cosmetic improvement--would not provide the results I was likely seeking. That said, it looks like your loss is limited to only the front...so you won't need as many grafts. However, I suspect that 1,000 are too few....2000-2500 are likely what you need to get the result you are seeking. I am a new member here and just wanted to share my experience with the hair transplant I had earlier today with Dr. Ivan Cohen in Connecticut. My decision to have the procedure done with him was based on information I obtain in the forums and reviews here. I had the ARTAS robotic FUE procedure done. I will try to post here my progress, including pictures, over the next year or so as my new hair grows in (hopefully I will remember to do this over such a long period). I was very happy with the procedure itself. Dr. Ivan Cohen and his staff were exceptionally friendly and made the whole process much easier and stress free than I was expecting. Tonight, Dr. Cohen personally called me to check up on me and make sure I was OK. Overall, I got the impression that Dr. Cohen really cares about his patients and the results they receive. I went to a few other places around Massachusetts where I just didn't get that feeling that the doctor cared. I had around 1000 grafts for a receding hairline (best guess somewhere between class 2 and class 3 hair loss) and Dr. Cohen expects great results due to the type of hair I have and the fact that he 'really packed the grafts in'. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my hair turns out well. My whole life I have been very unhappy with the way I look, confidence being a major issue for me. If this turns out well, I know this will make a big difference in my life. the surgery finished at 2:30pm today and I am currently experiencing only very minor discomfort. No swelling yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 27, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 27, 2014 Hi VikingsFan40, So far I am happy with the results. It has been 4 months since the surgery and there is already significant growth. I will post pictures later. I have been using Rogaine on the area 2x a day starting two weeks after the surgery. Pulpedficiton1, I had the same concern. I guess I still do. I was afraid that 1000 grafts would be too few, and maybe it is. Price was a limiting factor for me. I also wanted to be a bit conservative and subtle though, and not have it be obvious for people who know me that I had the procedure done. If I want to do another procedure, I could always do one later to lower the hairline further. I thought Dr. Cohen and their staff were very nice and realistic about the results I might achieve. Because I have very think hair, they said I didn't need as many grafts. We'll see. ~odlantern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted June 27, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted June 27, 2014 Look forward to seeing the pics. I also think that 1000 grafts is not enough but be interested to see your progress so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 28, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 As promised, here are a couple of quick pictures I took this morning. At 4 months, I was told to expect around 25% of final growth which seems about right. I just got a fairly short haircut, so the hairline can be seen pretty clearly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Spanker Posted June 28, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 Congrats on the procedure. I just had my 3rd (and final...knock on wood..) HT this week. I had consulted with your surgeon a couple of years ago, before deciding to have my procedure with a different doctor. The reason I decided to go with another surgeon was the fact that he didnt mention requiring 2 (or more) procedures to get the results most people would be seeking. The surgeon I decided to go with made it very clear from the start that one procedure--while providing significant cosmetic improvement--would not provide the results I was likely seeking. That said, it looks like your loss is limited to only the front...so you won't need as many grafts. However, I suspect that 1,000 are too few....2000-2500 are likely what you need to get the result you are seeking. I agree with this and would guess that you have my want a bump in density. However, you look really good and the design looks perfect. I am an online representative for Dr. Raymond Konior who is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. View Dr. Konior's Website View Spanker's Website I am not a medical professional and my opinions should not be taken as medical advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Pulpedfiction1 Posted June 28, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 Things are off to a nice start. One additional procedure of 1,000 grafts and you should be all set. Curious as to what you paid for the FUE...your surgeon was as pricey as the NYC surgeons when I was quoted for a strip procedure..can only imagine what his FUE rate would be! As promised, here are a couple of quick pictures I took this morning. At 4 months, I was told to expect around 25% of final growth which seems about right. I just got a fairly short haircut, so the hairline can be seen pretty clearly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 28, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 After the surgery (Dr. Cohen called me at night to see how I was doing), I mentioned needing more grafts during a second visit, and he said I should be fine with the grafts I got. Because of the type of hair I have, he thinks the results will look great. He doesn't think I will need a second visit. Given what I see so far, I feel confident that he is right. The hairs that have grown in are currently very thin, but after time, the thickness should match the rest of my hair (remember that I'm only at 4 months and still have a long way to go). He said he placed the hairs at a very high density, more densely than usual. If I do go for a second surgery, it will be to lower the hairline more, which is not something I'm sure I actually want to do. Dr. Cohen said this might look unnatural/artificial. I don't see what motivation Dr. Cohen would have to lie about this. Wouldn't he want more money from me? It's funny, people who I run into say I look so much better and 'healthier'. They wonder if I lost weight or something (I'm at the same weight). They can tell there is something very different about me, but can't quite figure out what it is. I've also noticed a _huge_ difference dating. Every little difference helps, because I have spent much of my life extremely embarrassed about the way I look (long story, and not just because of the hair). ~odlantern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 28, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2014 The cost was higher than a few other places I looked into, but I figured it would be worth it because I wanted to go to someone who I thought could give me good results. I was able to negotiate a couple dollars per graft off of the price to get it closer to someone like Bosley. I guess I just have to wait and see what the final results look like to really know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikingsFan40 Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 How soon after you met with Dr Cohen were you able to have the procedure done? Just to meet with him for a consultation there is about a month wait. I'm not sure what you do for work, but did you go back to work within next day or so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 29, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2014 I think it was about a month for me as well. I ended up pushing the surgery back another month because I had a business trip coming up. I work from home most of the time so I was able to get back to work right away. I just worked from home for about a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aWidowsPeek Posted June 29, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted June 29, 2014 1000 grafts total for that size bald area? I hope it winds up looking ok but let's be real that's about 1/3rd of what you really need to look great. Look at any doctors pics on here they hardly ever do less than 1500/2000 just for a hairline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 29, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2014 This is depressing to hear. I don't understand why Dr. Cohen would mislead me like this. He gave me every indication that 1000 would be plenty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Pulpedfiction1 Posted June 30, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted June 30, 2014 How much 'homework' did you do (reading this board, etc) before having the procedure? 1,000 grafts suffice only to fix minor thinning areas. It takes 2,000 grafts to rebuild a hairline, alone. That said...consider yourself fortunate if 2,000 grafts will be all you need. The majority of successful HT patients on this site are in the 4-5k range. It does seem like you have good hair characteristics, so you may wind up only needing 2,000 instead of 2,500 grafts. Your surgeon's definition of a successful result likely differs from yours. 1,000 grafts will get you a substantial improvement, but it sounds like your goal is full coverage. This is depressing to hear. I don't understand why Dr. Cohen would mislead me like this. He gave me every indication that 1000 would be plenty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 30, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 30, 2014 Based on the research that I did, I initially thought I would need around 2K grafts. I spoke to several surgeons however, and they all gave me numbers in the 1.2K to 1.5K range. I went to Dr. Cohen in the end both because of this site's recommendation of him, and my consultation with him directly. In the end, we decided to go with a somewhat conservative approach and just fill in the areas without lowering the hairline below what I have in the middle front. Dr. Cohen said lowering the hairline would be expensive in terms of the number of grafts needed and he didn't think I would need to do this. It would take around 1K grafts to fill in the area, but probably 1.5K more to lower the hairline. Money was a limiting factor for me also because I just paid off all of my student loans and worked hard to get completely debt free (I plan on remaining debt free for the rest of my life). Depending on how things look at the year or year and a half mark, I may go in for a second surgery. Even at 4 months with such a conservative approach, I look so much better. I constantly get comments, especially with people I haven't seen in a while. Not that it matters much, but Dr. Cohen said he actually implanted around 1100 grafts because he said the extraction rate was much better than usual. It is shocking how expensive these procedures are. 4K to 5K grafts is well into the tens of thousands of dollars unless these people are getting amazing deals. Thanks for the info and advice everyone. ~odlantern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member odlantern Posted June 30, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 30, 2014 I don't think I will really mind going in for a second surgery down the road. I would rather take things slowly than try to fix everything at once. Based on the advice on this forum I may end up going for another 1000 or so grafts in a year and a half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Pulpedfiction1 Posted June 30, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted June 30, 2014 It is crazy in a way to think that I've spent the price of a decent brand-new car on a bunch of 'fuzz'. Absolutely worth it..and then some, however. Based on the research that I did, I initially thought I would need around 2K grafts. I spoke to several surgeons however, and they all gave me numbers in the 1.2K to 1.5K range. I went to Dr. Cohen in the end both because of this site's recommendation of him, and my consultation with him directly. In the end, we decided to go with a somewhat conservative approach and just fill in the areas without lowering the hairline below what I have in the middle front. Dr. Cohen said lowering the hairline would be expensive in terms of the number of grafts needed and he didn't think I would need to do this. It would take around 1K grafts to fill in the area, but probably 1.5K more to lower the hairline. Money was a limiting factor for me also because I just paid off all of my student loans and worked hard to get completely debt free (I plan on remaining debt free for the rest of my life). Depending on how things look at the year or year and a half mark, I may go in for a second surgery. Even at 4 months with such a conservative approach, I look so much better. I constantly get comments, especially with people I haven't seen in a while. Not that it matters much, but Dr. Cohen said he actually implanted around 1100 grafts because he said the extraction rate was much better than usual. It is shocking how expensive these procedures are. 4K to 5K grafts is well into the tens of thousands of dollars unless these people are getting amazing deals. Thanks for the info and advice everyone. ~odlantern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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