First Day In Turkey with Dr. Koray Erdogan

[StillKicking]

As promised I will give a bit of a play by play of my trip to Turkey to see Dr. Erdogan. I actually came a week early to rendezvous with my daughter who is studying in Scotland and so we met for her spring break. I am from Atlanta Georgia USA so the flight over was a redeye. We stayed in Istanbul then went on to Cappadocia then back to Istanbul for the procedure. Turkey is a great value and the history, sites and people are amazing. Everyone is very honest and very hospitable. If you have any Turkey travel questions just ask but on to the hair. I just left my initial consultation which took about 3.5 hours. I am going with 3,000 grafts (2100 temporal with 900 on my vertex). Also will be taking Proscar (a cheaper version of Propecia with same active ingredient).

 

Asmed which is the name of the practice for Dr. Koray Erdogan is located on the Asian side so its a quick ferry ride over and short taxi ride. The hotel they use is really nice (Nice Royal Hotel) and I would rate it a little nicer than a Crown Plaza with a better breakfast. You can walk one block to the office or they will send a driver for you. It was raining so I opted for the driver. The first thing that struck me as odd was this crazy heat shrink wrap machine that you put your foot in as you enter the vestibule. It shrink wraps your shoe so no dirt enters the building. Once inside I understood why. This place was brand new, very modern and pristine. All the staff where the same stylish uniform. Lets just say the office is high tech and impressive.

 

After doing a medical history they sent me down to a studio where they did a photo shoot of me with hair. Afterward I met with Dr. Erdogan and three other staff members. One of the staff members who is fluent in english stays with you the entire time in case you need translation. I would say about 25% of the staff knew english including Dr. Erdogan. I was then shown a video of the procedure being done and my photo shots were shown to me and then you drew a first draft of the hair line along for my reaction. After doing a number of calculations and taking measurements etc... we came up with the graft numbers shown above. Time to pay up. I had been withdrawing a lot of cash from Atms in the days before the procedure so it was actually a relief to get rid of it versus walking around. I did it this way since I was coming so early to Turkey and did not want to carry a lot of cash in Advance. Plus, paying up was not so bad as I just thought of how much money I was saving compared to other places and honestly based on my research I was getting one of the best in the world. Dr. Koray charges 2.5 Euro per graft.

 

Then the fun part. They bring you to a high tech kinda of beauty salon room where they shave and wash your scalp. The they use a little machine to photograph your scalp for input into a computer for later computer analysis of the scalp. Back to the photo room where Dr. Erdogan then spends about 30 minutes drawing lines on your scalp. Then shows you a computer analysis of your scalp showing the density of the donor area and and other areas of your scalp. Apparently he is known for his artistry of the hairline and also for achieving really high density. OK, the bald head was not so bad but the blue lines make me look like a space alien. Gotta go with a hat tonight. After the procedure though I cannot where a hat until after the first hair wash on Friday.

 

I would say the only thing that was not impressive was the hat they provided me. Kinda of like a fishing hat. Not my style so I went with my baseball cap. Oh well, I would say everything (but the hat) far exceeded my expectations on day one. Ask any questions you may have. I will update after tomorrow as the first round of grafts are at 8:00am. Photos to follow later.

[TakingThePlunge]

Great writeup! Can't wait to see the pics.

[StillKicking]

What a looooong day! Still could not be more pleased with my choice . Arrived at 7:45am and was offered breakfast but I had already eaten. Was given a locker and key to put my shoes and other belonging in then went through various stages of sterilization areas before reaching the operating/procedure room.

 

First thing was a 20 minute massage to relax me. These guys are overkill on the details from EKGs blood work blood pressure and pulse every hour. You would think I was getting a heart transplant. Very high tech. They decided to go with all 3,000 in one day. I had two extractors one of which is considered the fastest and best in the world. Pain? Well injecting the local anesthesia was very uncomfortable but after that very little to no pain. I was given a great foot massage while they were doing it. Lasted about 30 minutes and was great. The extractions took about 3-4 hours. Then Dr. Erdogan does the punch (not sure of the right term) himself which took around 2 hours.

 

Afterward lunch (pretty good) the very slow process of putting the grafts in took about 5 hours with 3 technicians working on me continuously. Watched a couple of movies and had some good conversation to help the time pass.

 

A long day and a bit of of headache. But I am done and will go back for the hair wash tomorrow and a checkup.

 

One kinda of cool thing. Spanish television was doing a documentary on Dr. Erdogan and was filming the day I was there. I agreed to be interviewed and have my procedure filmed. My big break into TV. It will actually be televised nationally in Spain so I will be interested to see. it.

 

If the results turn out anywhere near the professionalism of the office and people I will be more than happy.

 

Pics of before and after to follow. I just wanted to get this documented while still fresh in my mind possibly giving some insight into the experience.

[FUE2014]

Sounds like an amazing experience, can't wait to see the pics!

[jsnw]

I flew from Atlanta over there in mid March. You must have had Delek do your extractions? She did mine both days and was awesome. Healed up really quickly when I got home. The flight home was brutal though. Had to fly to Germany then back to Atlanta. Took 20hrs or so to get home but well worth it. Ice down as much as you can. I used popsicles in the airport when I couldn't find ice. Safe travels!

[Redchilli007]

I was there two weeks ago for my HT. Like you I was very impressed by the Clininc and staff. The whole building it tailor made for hair transplants.

 

The ground floor reception area, the upper floor with Dr Korays office where you have your grafts calculated.

 

The lower ground floor with the salon to shave your head and wash your hair and the canteen and then the basement floor with the operation rooms which is a sterile envirmoent.

 

When I was there I had anywhere from 4-7 nurses in the room with me. For extractions your in a sittng position with one nurse holding your scalp tight whilst another extracts the grafts, then you have a translator with in case you need to ask for more anesthetic, then you can hear in the background nurses counting the grafts.

 

The whole operation is very efficent. Your blood pressure is measured, your blood sample is taken for tests and for PRP if you opt for it and your donor wiped down with a sterile liquid and your bandaged up.

 

Dr Koray spares no expense for staff and the building. The operation rooms are so well made they could be used for a more complicated medical procedure than a hair transplant. The entire building has strong wifi, the offices are all kitted out with the latest Apple computers, there are camers in each operating rooms so Dr Koray can watch from his office, he showed me operations in progress during my first meeting with him. there are LCD tv's on a crane type arm that swing down so you can watch movies during your operation

 

I'm from Ireland and have been to many medical buikdings in Dublin and the UK. The building I work in is 3 years old and is the latest in modern building technology which harnesses green energy for our datacentre. So I know a good building when I see one and let me tell you the Dr Korays Asmed clinic is state of the art. Its as good as anything you wil find in the UK and US and one of the cleanest and most modern buidings I have seen.

 

Actually I find it hard to believe a building anywhere else exists that beats it in terms of being tailor made for hair transplants.

[StillKicking]

Redchilli007 - Totally agree with all your comments. My impression was that the attention to detail on the facility carried over into the quality of the procedure. And like you I was surprised to have so many working on you at once.

 

Alright I will now chronicle my third and final day. I slept well as I was exhausted from the earlier day. They gave me a special neck pillow and some ATP spray to apply. Had dinner brought in if you know what I mean as I kinda looked really weird with the bandages and all.

 

Went in next morning for the following:

 

- Final hair wash and extensive post care information like hair wash instructions, hat etc......

 

- After pics with folder including CD of them, airline instruction letter, graft summary by count (singles doubles etc..) and average graft which mine turned out to be 2.1

 

- Goodbyes..... I ended up hugging them all. Best healthcare choice and experience of my life. I cannot imagine a way to improve his process. My son is preparing for Medical school and I wish I could talk him into a practice like Dr. Erdogans. This experience was an 11 out of 10. I am not a plant or whatever you call folks who plug a doctor just a very satisfied customer. I will help anyone with specifics. At the end Dr. Erdogan presented me with a gift of very special Turkish Delight that can only be found one from one shop in Turkey made since 1777 by one family business. I think this was fitting as the whole experience truly was a Turkish Delight!

[Raman]

Great write up looking forward to your update with photos. I'm hoping to use Dr Koray in the near future. Please keep us posted!

[slevin]

Thank you for such a detailed an in-depth write up. I am planning to go this year and this has completely put my worries at ease. Looking forward to hearing more of your progress!

[chrisdav]

Sounds really positive Stillkicking. I have been very impressed with the Dr.

 

Keep us posted.

[tim4d]

Any updates? As I have chose Dr. Erdogan as well for my first HT.

[alberto]

nice to read, I'm having HT with Dr Erdogan early July

[london81]

sounds great! I would consider using Dr Erdogan for any future procedures I may need. I like the work and the clinic seems to get good feedback on here. I do, however think the clinic needs to improve it's communication for patients coming from overseas. The clinic needs an excellent representative, ( like Stephen is for BHR )

[Redchilli007]

sounds great! I would consider using Dr Erdogan for any future procedures I may need. I like the work and the clinic seems to get good feedback on here. I do, however think the clinic needs to improve it's communication for patients coming from overseas. The clinic needs an excellent representative, ( like Stephen is for BHR )

 

When I first emailed the clinic I found a few days delay in getting a reply. At first I was a little worried but I would later find that this is not because the clinic employs mainly non english speaking staff but because the sheer volume of emails recieved from all over the world is staggering.

 

The clinic is always booked three months in advance, minimum. About 4 transplants are done in a week minimum I would guess, by a multitude of staff. During my visit to the clininc there were four other guys there at the same time, an American guy and two Spanish guys and an Italian guy who was finished that day and I was only there 3 days.

 

The translator who was with me in the operating room was the same translator who answered all the clinincs english emails, I think.

 

There is a reason they are so busy and its because they are very professional and lookafter their clients so well their good reputation spreads by word of mouth.

[Redchilli007]

nice to read, I'm having HT with Dr Erdogan early July

 

 

Great choice man. You are in great hands with Dr Koray.

 

Can I ask how many grafts you are having done?

 

In the weeks before you can get very nervous, thoughts about shaving the head and people asking questions and getting looks etc afterwards can cause a lot of anxiety and stress but its a doddle. The thoughts of these things are worse than actually getting it over and done with.

 

I will give you a golden piece of advise I wish I had gotten before I went. You have seen those pics of patients with the hairline drawn before a HT especially if you have seen a lot of Dr Korays photos, well have a very definite hairline in mind and planned out before you go. Have it visualised so well you can draw it with your finger and show Dr Koray exactly what you want it to be like, this drawing and planning of the hairline right before the op is the most important part of a HT for me. In terms of meeting your expectations and having no regrets this stage is critical.

 

Also a wide bucket hat so large it can be placed on your head so that it only touches the forhead and back of your head is a good option for when you go home, that or a bandanna. It reduces the stress of having people stare at you in the airports etc, its not essential but can be done without damaging the grafts if planned properly.

[tim4d]

Actually I emailed the clinic yesterday "friday" and got a reply the next day today "saturday". Their email reply was mainly a copy & paste reply & they just changed some items in the email per my request. I guess they do get too many emails & it's difficult for them to reply each one specifically. Anyway, after checking my photos they said I needed 3000 grafts which can be done in 1 day. But I need to book months in advance? That will be difficult for me to set up a confirmed date 2-3 months in advance!

 

 

 

When I first emailed the clinic I found a few days delay in getting a reply. At first I was a little worried but I would later find that this is not because the clinic employs mainly non english speaking staff but because the sheer volume of emails recieved from all over the world is staggering.

 

The clinic is always booked three months in advance, minimum. About 4 transplants are done in a week minimum I would guess, by a multitude of staff. During my visit to the clininc there were four other guys there at the same time, an American guy and two Spanish guys and an Italian guy who was finished that day and I was only there 3 days.

 

The translator who was with me in the operating room was the same translator who answered all the clinincs english emails, I think.

 

There is a reason they are so busy and its because they are very professional and lookafter their clients so well their good reputation spreads by word of mouth.

[matts7989]

Hi, where is the clinic and how much is it there?

I only need a small bit done and im very new to this

I found beauty travels 24

but after joining this site and reviewing I have been put off completely

 

if you could help me out id really appericate it

[Redchilli007]

Actually I emailed the clinic yesterday "friday" and got a reply the next day today "saturday". Their email reply was mainly a copy & paste reply & they just changed some items in the email per my request. I guess they do get too many emails & it's difficult for them to reply each one specifically. Anyway, after checking my photos they said I needed 3000 grafts which can be done in 1 day. But I need to book months in advance? That will be difficult for me to set up a confirmed date 2-3 months in advance!

 

When I was in contact with the clinic via email this year I was looking for dates from them around the 12th of Feb. They offered me dates in March but due to work I could not make it. I eventually booked for 17th of April. Thats the kind of timeline I think your looking at, please keep in mind your first day there will be for a consulatation, shaving of the head and drawing the hairline. Then you'll have your surgery day or days and final wash day so at a minimum you'll need to be there for 3 days. I arrived on a tuesday night, consultation Wednesday, surgery Thur & Fri, wash day Saturday and I flew home that afternoon. So i was there for a total of 4 nights and got 5000 grafts.

 

Hi, where is the clinic and how much is it there?

I only need a small bit done and im very new to this

I found beauty travels 24

but after joining this site and reviewing I have been put off completely

 

if you could help me out id really appericate it

 

The Asmed clinic (or Dr Korays clninc if you will) is in Turkey. Its a good alternative for European patients who cant afford to go to the US.

 

Dr Koray charges 2.5 euro per graft. My 5000 cost 12,500 euro. I opted for prp so that and the other medication cost an additional 600. With hotel cost added in it was 13,500 excluding flights iirc.

 

The cost includes pick up from the airport and transport to and from the hotel to the clinic each day.

 

As you have said you are after joining this site recently so please do a lot of research of the pros and cons of HTs, the Drs available etc etc.

 

There is much more for you to discover before you decide on Dr Koray just yet.

[matts7989]

Hi thanks for the quick response,

wow thats still alot 12,500 euro but suppose it worked out cheaper

I only need between 1000 and 2000 grafts

yeh im pretty new to this dont no much about them in fairness

im in no rush anyways theres a hell of a lot of hreads so I dno where to begin or who to ask

im in ireland and theres just really no help here at all

wish I could understand it more

[tim4d]

Hey Red,

 

Well I'm looking for dates around Mid to end of Jan or beginning of Feb. So do u have any ideas how many HT per day the doctor performs?

What about PRP? When I contacted the clinic, they mentioned PRP, how is that process? any pain? any side effects? I read online about it but there's no proven studies that it actually help but even if there's %10 chance that it actually helps and no side effects then I'll do it.

 

 

When I was in contact with the clinic via email this year I was looking for dates from them around the 12th of Feb. They offered me dates in March but due to work I could not make it. I eventually booked for 17th of April. Thats the kind of timeline I think your looking at, please keep in mind your first day there will be for a consulatation, shaving of the head and drawing the hairline. Then you'll have your surgery day or days and final wash day so at a minimum you'll need to be there for 3 days. I arrived on a tuesday night, consultation Wednesday, surgery Thur & Fri, wash day Saturday and I flew home that afternoon. So i was there for a total of 4 nights and got 5000 grafts.

[Redchilli007]

Hi thanks for the quick response,

wow thats still alot 12,500 euro but suppose it worked out cheaper

I only need between 1000 and 2000 grafts

yeh im pretty new to this dont no much about them in fairness

im in no rush anyways there is a hell of a lot of heads so I dno where to begin or who to ask

im in ireland and theres just really no help here at all

wish I could understand it more

 

I'm from Ireland too Matts and its not so easy to get a HT here or in the UK either due to price or lack of reputation. There are a couple of hair loss clinics in Ireland suck as blackrock but they charge a lot more (4-6 euro per graft iirc) and dont have the same king of repuation as the ones approved by this site . This list shows you the DRs approved by this site and their location in europe and the rest of the wrold

 

Full list of the best hair transplant surgeons

 

You said you were young and have experienced some temple loss but no hairloss elsewhere. This is quite natural and called a mature hairline, vshaped rather than flat. You may not be a good candidate for a HT due to your young age and not having all over thinning and baldness. Some Drs may refuse you for this reason but uploading pics here would be a good idea and people will give you an honest opinion.

 

 

Here are some other HT FAQs to read through before you make a decision

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/150315-frequently-asked-questions-forum-discussions.html

[matts7989]

Hi small world lol

 

I uploaded pics in my thread,

some say its male pattern baldness

but I dont think I suffer from hairloss and it doesnt run in the family

I dont want to start meds because im not losing any hair and may do more harm then good

I really wanna see a hair specialist or dermatologist do you know where I csn see one in ireland? So I can find out whats going on

 

when I look in the light in both temple areas I csn see loads of little hairs covering the area

 

im so confused

[Redchilli007]

Hey Red,

 

Well I'm looking for dates around Mid to end of Jan or beginning of Feb. So do u have any ideas how many HT per day the doctor performs?

What about PRP? When I contacted the clinic, they mentioned PRP, how is that process? any pain? any side effects? I read online about it but there's no proven studies that it actually help but even if there's %10 chance that it actually helps and no side effects then I'll do it.

 

So your aiming for early next year. Thats a lot of notice and unless its a popular time for people to want to get a HT done I would say you should get a time slot in that period if you ask for it now. Like I said I asked in mid Feb, was offered late March and eventually got mid April but keep in touch with the clinic about dates as they will know for sure. The clinic will ask for a 1000 deposit to secure the date for you, this is normal so they know you are serious and they will also ask for your flight number once you book it so they can have you picked up by the driver.

 

PRP is recommended by Dr Koray but its optional at a cost of 300euro. He doesn't claim for it to be a hairloss medication as many places do but its mainly for helping to heal the skin/scalp quicker after the HT and therefore helping the donor area and recipient area to be healthy after the HT and to give the grafts the best chance of survival.

 

Basically PRP is your own blood. No chemicals etc. They take a vile of your own blood and put it into a centrifuge so it seperates the white blood cells from the red, they then inject the white blood cells back into your scalp. The white blood cells are widely regarded to promote healing. So essentially a syringe draws your blood, its turned into PRP and a a syringe injects it back into your scalp, its that easy. The nurse actually showed me the vile of my prp, the red blood was at the bottom and a yellow fluid at the top, which I presume was the white blood cells and they injected only this back in, I can't be sure as I could not see. I have left a fuller guide to what happens over an entire HT below.

 

PRP has been used in the sports feild to help sports people recover quickly. As a way to combat hairloss I would say its not effective alone but when having a HT to help heal and keep those areas healthy I would say it helps as I had minimal pain even the day after my HT and have had 0% pain issues since having such a big session.

 

Four HT's were happening whilst I was there. An American and two Spanish guys were having work done the same days as me. On my second day of surgery one of the Spanish guys had finished so was just getting his wash and not having grafts.

 

Dr Koray does not do all of the procedure. He has many staff help him and many highly qualified nurses follow his technique to ensure he maintains his high graft survival rate, I think its 98% iirc. The HT is in three stages 1) Extraction 2) Incision and 3) Graft placement.

 

Dr Koray only preforms stage 2 which is to make the incisions where the extracted grafts will be placed. He was in and out of the room many times checking on progress and has cameras in each operating room so he can observe from his office.

 

Stage 1) the extraction stage goes as follows. You are led into the operating room which is a clean room enviroment. You will have had your hair shaved and washed beforehand and you will then get the local anaesthetic injections in the donor area. The nurses will begin the graft extraction from the donor area. One nurse will hold the head and move the skin to get the best angle for the extraction, the grafts will be taken and put into a solution and counted and determined to be single, double or triple grafts by a another 2-3 nurses. You will have a translator with you incase you need to ask for more anaesthetic injections. There is a plasma tv on a mechanical arm that can be placed at the right angle for you to watch a dvd, you can also bring your own dvds. This stage of the operation takes 2-3 hours. Your donor area will be wiped down with anti septic medical fluid and bandaged up.

 

Stage 2) Incision. This is preformed by Dr Koray. You will recieve more anaesthetic injections to the recipient area and then Dr Koray will make the incisions with his tool/blade call it what you will. Basically he is making little holes in your head for the grafts to be placed in. This procedure is the shortest stage and takes about 30-40 mins depending on number of grafts and the design you agreed on etc.

 

You will then have meal and can take a bathroom break etc or maybe you will have the meal after stage 1 depending on the time taken. The its time for stage 3

 

Stage 3) is placement. Yet more more anaesthetic injections for your recipient area if required and the nurses begin to place the grafts into the incisions made by Dr Koray. The nurses will use some sort of special tweezers or something to place the extracted grafts. This stage is the longest and can be 3 hours and upwards.

 

A usual day at the clinic is 8am-5pm or 5:30. Then you return to the hotel with the driver and return the next morning for the same procedure or for bandage removal and scalp wash, after this you can fly home.

 

A lot of people worry or don't like the fact that Dr Koray doesn't preform every part of the procedure but the truth is the Asmed clinic is so busy he simply can't. He does check on everything as its happening and has his staff very well trained in him methods that he can get the best results as if he did it himself. When talking to him he told me he was at this 15yrs and he is at the best stage of his career for preforming his work.

 

You have a team 6-8 people at times working on you and this is happening in 2-3 other rooms, there is a lot of staff there and Dr Koray doesn't cut corners in order to get as many people through the clinic, he hires many people to ensure his high standard is meet.

 

I hope this helps, if you have more questions I will help.

[Yaz89]

Excellent write up! Mirrors my own experience with Dr K. I agree with the fact Dr K has invested heavily in his people. They have years of experience, knowledge and the skill. Dr K only performed stage 2 on me and still my result is excellent. For potential patients, you are in safe hands.

[Redchilli007]

Hi small world lol

 

I uploaded pics in my thread,

some say its male pattern baldness

but I dont think I suffer from hairloss and it doesnt run in the family

I dont want to start meds because im not losing any hair and may do more harm then good

I really wanna see a hair specialist or dermatologist do you know where I csn see one in ireland? So I can find out whats going on

 

when I look in the light in both temple areas I csn see loads of little hairs covering the area

 

im so confused

 

I'm at work right now but will look at your pictures later this evening. Not having hairloss in the family is no guaruntee you don't have, its a good sign but when it comes to hairloss it can effect anyone at any time.

 

I don't want to scare you or anything just letting you know what I think. A lot of people think because nobody in the family has it that it wont effect them but thats a misassumption. My room mate has an Italina Dad and French Mum and no hairloss on either sides of his immidiate family exits, brother, dad, grandads etc yet is is balding heavily from 26yrs onwards and now at 30 shaves his head.

 

Personally I think everyone gets the bald gene passed onto them by the parents but in a lot of people its turned off in the DNA, its there just not active and thats why anyone from any family can suffer from baldness.

 

I can't recommend a good clinic in Ireland to get a verdict on your situation as I self diagnosed my baldness which wasn't really hard, I was diffuse all over, my crown was visible and my temple went on a vacation and never came back. I did lots of reading on this site and many others and tried some things but opted for a HT in the end.

 

If you really want to see a hair specialist or dermatologist just google them but hair restoration clinic black rock is the most well know (not saying the best) due to advertising.

 

Hair Transplant Clinic Ireland - Hair Replacement Surgery, Hair Restoration and Transplant Surgeons - HRBR, Ireland

 

but if you do enough reading and research on this site and other hairloss sites you will know beforehand what advise this clinic will give you.

 

Goodluck and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask.