3070 Grafts Dr Hakan Doganay in Turkey October 22

[thepasserby]

Hello everybody

 

 

I am back from Turkey and want to share my experience here with you.

My surgery was on October 22 with Dr Hakan Doganay. Before booking my surgery I read a lot about different surgeons and compared results and also prices, and am very glad I picked Dr. Hakan.

Here is what happened after I arrived to Istanbul:

 

I was picked up at the airport and taken to a hotel which was just a stone throw from the clinic. The hotel was clean and staff nice, and of course paid for by the clinic.

A nurse picked me up from the hotel next day at 10am. Dr Hakan was waiting for me at the clinic. Another nurse translated our conversation and I didn't find the language barrier problematic between us.

I had lots of questions and more instructions for my hairline design and after surgery concerns. I asked for a laptop and showed Dr. Hakan some pictures on internet of a person whom I wanted his hairline. All that was dealt with patiently by Dr Hakan and two other nurses. By 11am I was in the operation room surrounded by 8 nurses and Dr. Hakan, the operation began.

To me it was like a very long appointment with my dentist, nothing more than that. The initial injections sting a little but are well bearable. After my scalp was numb, I lied down on a bed, very similar to massage beds, face down in the hole and the extraction began. It took 1.5 to 2 hours to extract 3070 grafts and I didn't feel a thing. The drilling was done by nurses, two at a time, and under Dr. Hakan supervision.

After a short break and lunch at the clinic, I was back on the bed this time face up. The rest of the operation took around 4 hours.

Dr. Hakan is a very hand on surgeon and was in control at all time, either planting the grafts himself or giving instructions to the nurses who were helping him. To my embarrassment I fell sleep twice during the operation and only woke up by the sound of my snoring.

Maybe it's only me but I didn't find the operation exhausting at all. They didn't play a DVD and we talked only when they asked me how I was feeling, but four hours appeared more like an hour to me. The whole operation took over six hours, 3070 grafts transplanted.

I was back at the hotel by 8pm and didn't even have to take a pain killer to sleep.

Next morning I was taken to the clinic by a nurse who washed my head and taught me how to apply the mask and cream.

Along with a 7 page report of the operation that included the name of the nurses involved, the number and places of grafts, name of medicines that I had to take and much more, I was given a goody bag with all the medicines inside, from Proscar to vitamin, a special cream, mask and shampoo and three different tablets and pills.

I asked the nurse for more Proscar as it's very expensive and difficult to buy back in the UK and although she didn't have more at the clinic, another nurse bought three more boxes from a pharmacy without even charging me. At this point I still owed them 2000 Euro and they didn't ask for it until I mentioned the money, which was very nice of them. The nurse even gave me back 50 Euro to cover the transportation cost to the airport because they didn't have a driver at that moment. This was not even included in our contract and was purely a good will gesture. I am not proud to say this but back in the UK nobody would spit on you for free if you were on fire, so I was very moved by their kindness.

Now four days post operation I have no pain or bleeding at all (never had), as if nothing has happened, except for general tiredness and swelling in my face. The tiredness is due to restless sleep not the operation and swelling is normal at this stage.

I am still waiting for before and after pictures taken at the clinic, these ones I'm posting were taken at home.

Over all very pleasant and positive experience.

 

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

 

Regards

[BUSA]

wow donor area look amazing. there will be ZERO evidence of a HT after that heals. nice hairline too

[home1212]

Dr Hakan Doganay's work is consistently very impressive. Best of luck.

[thepasserby]

Thank you for your comments.

 

When I went back to the clinic the next day to have my head washed and bandage removed, the nurse showed me the pad that was covering the donor area over night and there were like three tiny blood stains on it which meant almost no bleeding at all after operation.

I had 1220 double grafts, 1350 triple grafts and 500 single grafts extracted.

These pictures were taken yesterday, today the donor area has completely disappeared.

I was told that they used a 0.7 mm drill. I have attached a close up picture of donor area taken yesterday. As you can see the holes are very tiny and can't be seen from a 3 feet distance.

The hairline was my own suggestion. I didn't want to fill up the temples, didn't suit my face and my age (37), instead I asked Dr. Hakan to lower the hairline around an inch and pack the grafts in the middle of the head.

In the picture the hairline looks a bit uneven, but it's because of the swelling and aslo the shape of my head. Today it looks much better.

I'm happy with the result so far. Skillful Doctor and nurses.

Regards

[spitfire uk]

Great write up , I'm due to see Dr Hakan very soon....your positive review has lifted my nerves a little so thanks for that . Just one question , the write up says you flew in to Istanbul ....i thought the clinic was in Antalya ?

[thepasserby]

spitfire

True, I was gonna see Dr Hakan In Antalya too but his representative told me once or twice a month he sees his patients in Istanbul. They told me they were thinking about moving their clinic to Istanbul permanently. May be you can ask them to be seen in Istanbul, the flights are a bit cheaper and also 1 hour shorter and more frequent.

[jdhillon]

Ah now it makes sense, as I have been told I will be staying at their hospital accommodation instead of a hotel and I was wandering why your post stated you stayed in a hotel...

 

Jay

[Knudsen88]

Great post.

 

Im seeing Dr. Hakan for a temple peak transplant by the end of december.

 

How is your growth coming?

[Number47]

Hey the passer i wish you the best mate! I honestly cannot believe what i am seeing with your donor area, it looks like nothing happened! I can't even see gaps!

 

Is this because of the 0.7mm drill??? isn't it too small?

[fisher4man]

Are you sure that donor area picture was just taken the day after the surgery, here are 2 examples of donor areas from Dr. Dagonay's threads. It looks like you have taken them a few days later.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/176818-will-updated-dr-hakan-doganay-2545-2030-515-grafts-6-month-choi-implanter-pen-fue.html

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/174373-fue-1500-grafts-04-aug-2014-dr-hakan-doganay.html

[thepasserby]

Hi Knudsen88

 

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be a happy man soon. Everything fine here, the new transplanted hair are falling out which is natural, but lots of new tiny hairs are coming out, will post new pics today or tomorrow.

 

Number47

Thank you, the drill holes are tiny, even the night after surgery I had no bleeding at all. The wounds are healing fast too which I think is because of the minimal damage to the donor area.

 

Fisher4man

The pictures have been taken around 40 hours after surgery at home. I just think that Dr. Hakan and his nurses have done a really good job but it's still too soon to judge, but from the look of it I'm very optimistic.

 

Thanks for your comments.

[thepasserby]

These were taken almost three weeks after

[DaveyB]

Any updates??

[Ron85]

Hi thepasserby, are you able to update us with your procedure?? Thanks

[thepasserby]

Hi

Sorry for the late reply. I will take some pictures tonight and post them here.

Over all it's been ok so far. Have been shedding lots of hair in the past month or so, not sure they are transplanted hair or it's a shock loss, either way very depressing, I just hope that this is the ugly duckling phase as they call it.