Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted October 3, 2014 Regular Member Share Posted October 3, 2014 Hi all, I had my fue surgery yesterday at Shapiro Medical. Here is a brief write up on my experience. I arrived at La Quinta on Tuesday, it's a nice hotel with a friendly staff. The rooms are clean and tidy, overall very good value for your money. I walked over to SMG shortly after settling in to make sure I knew where I was going. It was only 5 minutes away. Went to Jimmy Johns for some food and then back to the hotel to relax. Wednesday morning I was up at 5.30, showered and went for breakfast. I then read the forums for a short while before heading out to SMG. I was still anxious as I made my way there, I arrived at 7:25 and was greeted by Del for pre-op pictures. Then I met Dr. Josephitis to discuss the surgery and ask any questions I had. I asked a ton of them but Dr. Josephitis answered them all which reassured me. Since I'm starting on Propecia and Rogaine foam, we decided around 1300 grafts would suit my needs. I'm very happy with this plan of conserving my donor supply for future loss. We're hopeful that the meds will regrow some lost hairs and hold onto my native hairs. Then it was time to get prepped for surgery. They were able to accommodate a military hair cut since I won't have much time off for work. The donor area will be shaved down without a guard. I rather liked my hair really short. I was numbed up by Dr. Joe and soon after he and Janna began extracting the grafts. They said the grafts were coming out beautifully and easily. I have to admit, I was surprised at how relaxed I was throughout the whole process. Dr. Joe and Janna were fun to talk to during the extractions. All the grafts were extracted by 11am and then the top of my head was numbed. Dr. Joe made all the incisions and then we broke for lunch. We ended up with 1324 grafts using a .8mm dull punch. After lunch it was time to have my grafts to be implanted. I watched a movie while this was going on. Then before I knew it they were finished, it was a breeze. No pain whatsoever!. In hindsight I really had nothing to worry about. I took the shuttle back to the hotel and chilled out for the night. Today I walked back to SMG to have my hair washed. Janna checked over my transplanted area making sure all the grafts were securely in, they were. I went over my post op instructions again and then said my goodbyes to all the staff. I can't believe how caring everyone is here, right down to Jennifer and Kelly at the front desk. My experience has been exceptional, I'd like to say to anyone considering SMG that you won't be disappointed if my experience is anything to go by. Janna will add my pictures and surgery details for me. I'll post regular updates on my progress, I feel it's the least I can do to get the word out about Dr. Joe. Thank you to everyone at SMG and the forums for all the information which helped me make an informed decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Blake Bloxham Posted October 4, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted October 4, 2014 Pcr, Congratulations! Look forward to updates. "Doc" Blake Bloxham - formerly "Future_HT_Doc" Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum All opinions are my own and my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member PupDaddy Posted October 5, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted October 5, 2014 Congrats pcr! Sounds like you had a very positive experience with Dr. J and Janna and everyone at SMG. Grow well, and please keep us updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TakingThePlunge Posted October 6, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted October 6, 2014 Thanks for sharing your experience! Please keep us posted on 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...
Senior Member Janna Posted October 10, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted October 10, 2014 Hi Pcrudance, Here are your pics from your fue procedure with Dr. Joe. Sorry for the delay in posting your pics. Thanks again for posting your experience and we look forward to following your progress. The session yielded 1324 grafts/2968 hairs Pre-op Pic - 1 Day Post Op: Patient Care Services & UK Patient Advisor for Shapiro Medical Dr. Ron Shapiro, Dr. Paul Shapiro and Dr. David Josephitis are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. http://shapiromedical.com/info@shapiromedical.com http://shapiromedical.com/contact/request-a-consultation/janna@shapiromedical.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member haircut Posted October 10, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted October 10, 2014 That looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted November 24, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 24, 2014 I'm coming up on 8 weeks post op now. Everything has returned to pre op state. My donor looks untouched which I'm extremely happy about. I'd like to say I've had to contact SMG many, many times with questions and they are always there to reply right away. I know I've been unnecessarily over anxious with the whole process when I don't need to be. Thank you Dr. Josephitis and Janna for your patience!!! I really do know I'm in excellent hands. Here are couple pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted November 24, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 24, 2014 One more picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Janna Posted November 25, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted November 25, 2014 Thanks Pcrudance for posting an update. It looks as it should. You're at the worst stage at 2 months post op. It won't be too long before you notice hair growing but I'm glad you're not looking in the mirror everyday now. Time will go by faster if you put your mind to something else until you're over the 6 month's mark. No problem answering your questions. Patient Care Services & UK Patient Advisor for Shapiro Medical Dr. Ron Shapiro, Dr. Paul Shapiro and Dr. David Josephitis are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. http://shapiromedical.com/info@shapiromedical.com http://shapiromedical.com/contact/request-a-consultation/janna@shapiromedical.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hadenough2014 Posted November 25, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted November 25, 2014 I'm coming up on 8 weeks post op now. Everything has returned to pre op state. My donor looks untouched which I'm extremely happy about. I'd like to say I've had to contact SMG many, many times with questions and they are always there to reply right away. I know I've been unnecessarily over anxious with the whole process when I don't need to be. Thank you Dr. Josephitis and Janna for your patience!!! I really do know I'm in excellent hands. Here are couple pictures. Congrats, Pcrudance! I'm sure SMG is used to us nervous nellies post-op asking lots of questions. All we can really do now is take good care, and wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 25, 2014 Congrats, Pcrudance! I'm sure SMG is used to us nervous nellies post-op asking lots of questions. All we can really do now is take good care, and wait. This is true my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 25, 2014 Thanks Pcrudance for posting an update. It looks as it should. You're at the worst stage at 2 months post op. It won't be too long before you notice hair growing but I'm glad you're not looking in the mirror everyday now. Time will go by faster if you put your mind to something else until you're over the 6 month's mark. No problem answering your questions. Thank you once again Janna, always a pleasure dealing with SMG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 25, 2014 I added the same picture twice. Here is the second picture I meant to add, that will teach me for not wearing my glasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Blake Bloxham Posted November 25, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted November 25, 2014 Thanks for the updates! Looks like things are coming along nicely. "Doc" Blake Bloxham - formerly "Future_HT_Doc" Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum All opinions are my own and my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted December 5, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 5, 2014 Thank you Blake. I'm just waiting on the growth to appear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted January 28, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 28, 2015 Hey all. It's coming up to 5 months and I'm experiencing lots of new growth which I'm very happy about. Maybe the Meds have kick started it early. Take a look at my pictures and let me know what you think. I'll be back in minesota in a month or two so I'm planning to visit Smg for a follow up and give them the opportunity to assess my growth. This picture is at 4 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted January 28, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 28, 2015 Here I am at 5 months. I can feel lots of stubbles on my head, I'm really pleased with how my hair is shaping up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted January 28, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 28, 2015 I can see and feel the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted February 5, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 5, 2015 Janna. When I'm back over will I be able to collect some supplies to take back ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 5, 2015 Hey all, here are a couple of 6 months pictures. I can feel lots of new stubbles pushing through. Really happy with my progress to date. I'll be attending Smg soon to have them check over my progress and take some pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pcrudance2006 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 5, 2015 Very happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Janna Posted March 6, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted March 6, 2015 Glad to hear your happy with your progress. We're looking forward to your follow-up visit next week. Thanks for posting the update! Patient Care Services & UK Patient Advisor for Shapiro Medical Dr. Ron Shapiro, Dr. Paul Shapiro and Dr. David Josephitis are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. http://shapiromedical.com/info@shapiromedical.com http://shapiromedical.com/contact/request-a-consultation/janna@shapiromedical.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Janna Posted March 16, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted March 16, 2015 Here are pictures of Pcrudance2006 progress from before surgery to 6 months post op. We appreciate the trouble he took to visit us in person for this follow up appointment. Patient Care Services & UK Patient Advisor for Shapiro Medical Dr. Ron Shapiro, Dr. Paul Shapiro and Dr. David Josephitis are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. http://shapiromedical.com/info@shapiromedical.com http://shapiromedical.com/contact/request-a-consultation/janna@shapiromedical.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member PupDaddy Posted March 17, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted March 17, 2015 Congrats Pcrudence! Looking great. That's a lot of cosmetic improvement for only 1324 grafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-from-Farjo Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I agree. Real noticeable improvement. Congrats. I am an online representative for Farjo Hair Institute Dr. Bessam Farjo is an esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions shared are my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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