WARNING, if considering Dr Hakan Doganay, read this first

[paleocapa89]

!!! If you are considering Dr. Hakan Doganay and AHD Clinic in Antalya please read this first!!!

 

I am a former patient of aforementioned doctor. First, I will sum up my personal opinion of the clinic and the situation they have put me into, then in a later post I will try my best to share my story as detailed as possible. In my opinion choosing him was the worst decision of my life. Though I am greatly influenced emotionally, I will try to be as objective as possible, and let the reader decide whether I am right or wrong. I have created a picasa album where I am documenting everything in detail. (find links below)

 

A few words about me: I am 26 years old, been dealing with hair loss since I was 18. Hair loss runs in my family, both my brother and my father is Norwood 5-6. I always kept my hair medium-long so I thought I only had a receding hairline. The last few years I was in depression because of my hair loss and thought only getting my hair back could make me happy again. I trusted Dr. Hakan Doganay and AHD Clinic and now I am in worse shape than before, I can back up anything I am stating below:

 

- I arrived to Dr Hakan Doganay with a receding hairline and he merely looked at my head and did not evaluate my hair loss and miniaturization at all. If he did, it would had become clear that I not only have a receding hairline but a full, advanced norwood 5A-6 balding pattern. If I was told that, I would never had went through with the procedure. I clearly articulated before the procedure that I do not want to take propecia due to sides. We talked about potential future hair loss given my family history, but I was not informed that I am already way down the road. ( I became aware of my hairloss situation when my hair started to grow back postop)

 

- Dr. Hakan Doganay did not evaluate my donor capacity either. He carelessly drew a new (somewhat low) hairline on my head using up 2500 grafts (for which I already paid for in advance). He did not warn me about my ongoing hair loss, or come up with a conservative game plan for the long term.

 

- In the IAHRS website it was written that Dr. Hakan Doganay extracts and implants the grafts himself, I only found out later that he uses techs with very little experience do all the extraction and a part of the implantation as well.

[Link removed by moderator - see Terms of Service) ]Dr. Hakan Doganay – Turkey Hair Transplant MD | IAHRS Member[/url]

As people pointed it out, this website is not affiliated with this forum hence I can not make references to it, I did get a link to the clinic's website before the procedure which stated the head technician extracts the grafts and Dr Hakan Doganay implants the hairline. In my case it was not the head technician who extracted the grafts but an ordinary technician and not only Dr Hakan Doganay implanted the hairline but the head technician as well. It was also told me by the clinic retrospectively that the technicians have minimum 4 years experience. - edited 27/10/15

 

- They may have wasted a number of my grafts and to compensate either harvested more and/or implanted less grafts. I admit, this one claim I cannot prove. However the techs were dropping equipment and cursing during the operation and I have a picture with discarded grafts laying on top of my head. I have uploaded my post-op donor picture and a bunch of post op donor pictures from other clinics’ 2500 graft procedures and compared to them my donor area looks overharvested and thinned out in certain points. In my opinion they either transected a lot of grafts, harvested more or didn’t care about the pattern at all. When I mentioned the donor scarring they told me that after a FUE procedure one should wear its hair at least 1-1,5 cm long to cover it!! To my understanding the very reason of a FUE procedure is to be able to wear my hair 4-5mm long. Anyway, my hair is longer than 1,5 cm and the signs of the scarring is still visible. Anyone can check it and decide.

 

As people pointed it out I can not substantiate the claim of wasting more than those two grafts that are laying on top of my head-edited 27/10/15

 

- Upon questioning they told me that they implanted 50 grafts/cm2 (check the pictures to see if that is true) and that they have harvested 2500 grafts (check the pictures if that is true) Upon questioning they told me I have an average donor with 45-50 grafts/cm2, which is a guess at best as they never measured it, and it is way out of the literature which states an average donor is between 65-85 grafts/cm2. If my donor density was in fact 50 grafts/cm2 that would had meant that it was low and I was not suitable for a FUE hair transplant.

Distribution of Human Hair in Follicular Units - ResearchGate

 

- It has been 4 month since the operation and my recipient area never looked good for one minute since. It is red, bumpy with red spots and minimal growth. Moreover, a number of the grafts that were implanted by the tech are misaligned. I have been in contact with the clinic since and all they had to tell me was everything looks fine. To be factual at one point around month 2 after repeatedly asking about folliculitis they recommended me to take antibiotics for 5 days, and when 3 month post-op I was still in bad shape and I told them I am even willing to fly back to Antalya they offered me a prp treatment, an ozone treatment, and some cream and a shampoo for free but it did not improve my situation.

 

2 weeks ago I got so fed up, I have contacted a trusted hair restoration surgeon and a dermatologist. A bacterial culture was taken from my head which came back positive. I have been prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatory cream and for the first time in 4 months I am seeing improvements. My only wish now is to shave my head but I am left with a low, uneven hairline with thinning all over behind it and a badly scarred / overharvested donor.

 

 

Preop postop + photos of 2500 graft FUE extraction to compare

 

 

Recipient

 

 

Donor

 

 

Future balding pattern

 

I am aware that the full result of a hair transplant can only be seen after 12 months so my situation might improve, however even if I’ll have good growth (which I doubt) I will lose my hair in a norwood 5A-6 pattern very soon and I do not have nearly enough donor to compensate for it.

 

A number of people will say that 4 months is too early to evaluate a result and I might have shock loss in the donor area, and I just might be a late grower so, to be fair I have created a picasa album where I will document my case from pre-op through the 12 months so anyone can evaluate them himself independently. After 12 month I will shave my head so the donor scarring could be evaluated as well.

 

However I have reason to believe that the problems I described will remain, as after digging rigorously (which I should have done before) I have found numerous other ex-patents with similar problems and recurring themes, namely:

- poor growth

- bad donor scarring

- misaligned grafts and poor growth on the side where the tech implanted the grafts.

 

Xkos48: poor growth from procedure

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/172307-3916-grafts-hakan-doganay-antalya.html

 

BFA316 : poor growth from procedure

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/173749-4-500-fue-dr-hakan-doganay-07th-march-2014-a.html

 

Mickeydw: badly looking right side (implanted by tech), transplanted hair fell out later

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/174564-4065-grafts-dr-hakan-doganay-australia-turkey.html

 

Jugendlich: poor growth, badly looking right side (implanted by tech)

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

 

BluEMoOn: poor growth, patent later disappeared

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180476-look-worse-6-months-post-op-then-pre-op.html

 

TOharbourfront: poor growth on left side (implanted by tech)

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180710-dr-doganay-not-responding.html

 

johnny2000: poor growth, bad donor scarring, misaligned grafts implanted by the tech

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/178922-fue-scar-12-month-post-op-pictures.html

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/174976-1308-grafts-dr-hakan-doganay.html

 

gimmefiction: satisfied overall, but the left side looks weaker (implanted by tech)

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/179332-dr-hakan-doganay-2800-fue-26-y-o-november-2013-a.html

 

srdonjuan : weak growth, weak right side (implanted by tech)

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/171811-dr-hakan-doganay-3600-graphs-fue.html

 

William1: poor growths, grafts possibly wasted?

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/177789-dr-doganay-2050-grafts-3500-strands-hair.html

 

levi12: poor growth

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/174171-4025-grafts-fue-dr-hakan-doganay-july-2013-a.html

 

Buzz2: poor growth, very bad donor scarring

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/174668-what-point-do-you-call-failure.html

 

boricotico: bad donor scar

(Link removed by moderator - See Terms of Service)

 

tonious: very bad looking result

Hair Restoration Websites

 

A number of people will say that I should have been aware of my own hair loss and I should have researched more thoroughly before I jumped into a hair transplant, and those people are right. However, I was in denial and depression due to my hair loss and my judgement was impaired by my emotional state. Seeing the good results posted by the clinic, the IAHRS membership and the recommendation given by this site was enough for me to trust Dr. Hakan Doganay and AHD Clinic blindly.

 

I think they have violated the ethical guidelines of the IAHRS at least in 3 points:

 

IV. The select member will not provide treatments that are deemed pointless or harmful by the IAHRS, or ones that an informed and competent patient refuses.

 

V. The select member will ensure patients receive the information and support they need to make important decisions about hair loss prevention and improvement of their existing condition. Members will answer questions as truthfully as they can and respect patients’ decisions, unless these decisions put the patient or others at risk of harm. If members cannot agree with their requests, they are required to explain why.

 

IX. The select member acknowledges that he/she is in a position to affect each patient’s appearance, self-confidence, and possibly the emotional, social, and professional success of the patient for his/her entire life. With every treatment, the emotional well-being of the patient will be considered as important as the outcome of the actual treatment itself. The lifelong effect of each treatment will be considered in light of potential continuing hair loss.

 

I cannot understand how Dr. Hakan Doganay can still be recommended by this site. Sites like this carry a huge responsibility because uneducated patents like me (and others) are misled and falsely assured by the recommendation. If he was not, I (and many others) probably would had never chosen him.

 

In my experience they are more like a hair transplant mill than a quality clinic. I was rushed through the whole procedure starting from the inadequate evaluation through the operation itself which (for the most part) was carried out by techs with minimal experience. I have reason to believe they are having 2-4 procedures a day seven days a week in two locations.

 

As people pointed it out, I can not substantiate the claim that they are doing more than 2 procedures a day and I was told by the clinic that the techs have minimum 4 years experience -edited 27/10/15

 

They sold me their clinic and their procedure as top-notch and less invasive, I only found out now that using micromotor for extraction and Choi implanter for implantation is much more invasive than the techniques used by leading clinics (manual punch, custom made blades, lateral slits. This might be evident for the seniors but it is not for the newbies. Yes, I was uneducated). Upon rigorous research it also became evident that there are good results only posted by the clinic itself.

 

I have also learned never to go to a clinic which generates its revenue purely based on the number of grafts they transplant (like them) and don’t charge a fix price. This revenue model will only motivate them to scale up their operation and transplant as many grafts in as little time as possible.

 

I am aware of the gravity of my allegations, and I stand behind them. I am a real patient of Dr. Hakan Doganay which I can prove, I am open to any question by anyone. I have created this thread to share my story and get the independent opinion of a third party. I am also inviting all the linked patents, other doctors to this thread as well as the representatives of Dr. Hakan Doganay. I am open to a debate. I will apologize for and withdraw any statement that anyone can disprove. I have nothing to gain out of this, but I felt a moral obligation to share my story.

Edited October 27, 2015 by paleocapa89

[Spanker]

Luckily it's quite early. I don't see any reason to believe that your post op density is 45 to 50. Your hairline does not really look low to me. I agree that your NW pattern should have been discussed and considered at placement and without fin you will lose your hair behind the transplant soon and the placement isn't ideal with the exposed pattern.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Spanker

[Bart83]

How can this Dr still be recommended on this site?

[ZeoRanger]

I remember 2 years ago the doctor in question was praised highly on this forum. Over the past year reviews with growth issues pop up on a weekly basis.

 

I'm also seeing a pattern where "one side doesn't grow in". Clinics would love to blame a patient's freak physiology for poor growth but if one side matures beautifully and the other one doesn't, it has little to do with the patient unless he caused trauma to that side post op or pulled out grafts.

 

The doctor did deliver great results in the past. I suspect this is a tech/implanting issue.

 

How many bad reviews does it take for a doctor to lose a recommendation?

[Dr. Hakan DOGANAY]

Answers to the claims:

 

 

I arrived to Dr Hakan Doganay with a receding hairline and he merely looked at my head and did not evaluate my hair loss and miniaturization at all. If he did, it would had become clear that I not only have a receding hairline but a full, advanced norwood 5A-6 balding pattern. If I was told that, I would never had went through with the procedure. I clearly articulated before the procedure that I do not want to take propecia due to sides. We talked about potential future hair loss given my family history, but I was not informed that I am already way down the road. ( I became aware of my hairloss situation when my hair started to grow back postop)

 

- Dr. Hakan Doganay did not evaluate my donor capacity either. He carelessly drew a new (somewhat low) hairline on my head using up 2500 grafts (for which I already paid for in advance). He did not warn me about my ongoing hair loss, or come up with a conservative game plan for the long term.

 

You had operation on 11th and 12th July, 2015. Before the operation, you wanted to visit our clinic for a face to face consultation, and you come to the clinic on 26th May, 2015. In this consultation we evaluated the donor area and hairless area. We clearly mentioned that you may need a second operation in the future due to further hairloss, you need to use medicine, otherwise you could lose your hair.

 

Additionally, after the face to face consultation, you mentioned in your email that you wonder whether you should go even more than 2500 grafts, and we replied that "please also think for future hairloss". Please check the emails on May 28, 2015.

 

 

In the IAHRS website it was written that Dr. Hakan Doganay extracts and implants the grafts himself, I only found out later that he uses techs with very little experience do all the extraction and a part of the implantation as well.

Dr. Hakan Doganay – Turkey Hair Transplant MD | IAHRS Member

 

You had operation on 11th and 12th July, 2015. Before the operation, on April 21, 2015 you asked about procedure details in your email. We emailed you the following link for the plan and details: www.hakandoganayfue.com/hair-transplantation/our-methods

 

In the link, the surgery details including the extraction procedure explained. Please check the email on April 21, 2015.

 

 

- They may have wasted a number of my grafts and to compensate either harvested more and/or implanted less grafts. I admit, this one claim I cannot prove. However the techs were dropping equipment and cursing during the operation and I have a picture with discarded grafts laying on top of my head. I have uploaded my post-op donor picture and a bunch of post op donor pictures from other clinics’ 2500 graft procedures and compared to them my donor area looks overharvested and thinned out in certain points. In my opinion they either transected a lot of grafts, harvested more or didn’t care about the pattern at all. When I mentioned the donor scarring they told me thatafter a FUE procedure one should wear its hair at least 1-1,5 cm long to cover it!! To my understanding the very reason of a FUE procedure is to be able to wear my hair 4-5mm long. Anyway, my hair is longer than 1,5 cm and the signs of the scarring is still visible. Anyone can check it and decide.

 

 

The grafts were not wasted. Normally, we transplant 2500 grafts in 1 day, but upon your request, we did your operation in 2 days.

 

Additionally, in your email you mentioned that another clinic advised 4200 grafts. We emailed back that it seems that you don't need 4200 grafts, and around 2500 grafts should be enough, but the exact number of grafts will be decided when you are in our clinic. Also, we advised to get estimation for the number of grafts from other top clinics to double check. Please check your email on April 13th, 2015.

 

Before the operation in the clinic, we mentioned that wearing hair at least 1-1,5 cm long depending on the scalp is necessary to cover the sign of the operation.Also, your donor on the pictures seem normal for 4 months.

 

 

 

- Upon questioning they told me that they implanted 50 grafts/cm2 (check the pictures to see if that is true) and that they have harvested 2500 grafts (check the pictures if that is true) Upon questioning they told me I have an average donor with 45-50 grafts/cm2, which is a guess at best as they never measured it, and it is way out of the literature which states an average donor is between 65-85 grafts/cm2. If my donor density was in fact 50 grafts/cm2 that would had meant that it was low and I was not suitable for a FUE hair transplant.

Distribution of Human Hair in Follicular Units - ResearchGate

 

As we mentioned in our email, we meant the density of the receiving area, which is 45-50 grafts/per cm2. Please check the "after 2 weeks" pictures showing the density of the receiving area.

 

The donor area supply was enough as it can be seen on the pictures. Otherwise, we would not accept this operation. There are some potential patients.And even if some of them insist to have operation from our clinic, we reject them since their supplies are not enough.

 

 

In my experience they are more like a hair transplant mill than a quality clinic. I was rushed through the whole procedure starting from the inadequate evaluation through the operation itself which (for the most part) was carried out by techs with minimal experience. I have reason to believe they are having 2-4 procedures a day seven days a week in two locations.

 

As we mentioned, normally, we transplant 2500 grafts in 1 day, but upon your request, we did your operation in 2 days, and your operation was not rushed. We have 1 or maximum 2 procedures a day, and we have only one location.

 

As our regular process, we keep monitoring our patients by asking them to update us with the pictures until seeing the full result as we do for you.

 

Thanks

[TakingThePlunge]

First, I would like to thank Dr. Doganay for being proactive in responding to paleo's statements and concerns.

 

I would also like to address some of these issues.

 

Paleo,

 

As a hair transplant patient with 3 surgeries under my belt (both strip and FUE), the first of which yielded less than expected growth, I understand the compulsion to second-guess your decision, your physician's advice and the work itself. When I was in that position, I received some very good advice from this community and that was to wait until the results grew in before assessing the quality of the work. That was good advice and it's the best advice you'll get at this early stage.

 

I have reviewed your photos and, from what I can tell, the hairline looks appropriate for the number of grafts and in the design. I cannot honestly evaluate the donor area. Perhaps someone else may be able to offer their input.

 

While I believe you are sincere in sharing your experience, I think your fears and concerns are very premature and I have to take issue with some of your claims.

 

It has been 4 month since the operation and my recipient area never looked good for one minute since. It is red, bumpy with red spots and minimal growth.

 

At only 4 months this is pretty standard. Growth should be minimal at this point. Yes, you will hear about some patients who heal quickly and look great in a month or two. That was never my personal experience. With my first two transplants I remained quite red for many weeks.

 

Folliculitis is not common but can happen. For patients that travel abroad for surgery, getting the diagnosis can be tough. Unfortunately, consulting with a local physician is a must if you suspect complications.

 

In the IAHRS website it was written that Dr. Hakan Doganay extracts and implants the grafts himself, I only found out later that he uses techs with very little experience do all the extraction and a part of the implantation as well.

 

Our community is not affiliated with the IAHRS and our Terms of Service prohibit linking to any of their resources. However, Dr. Doganay is recommended by our community and you can view his profile here.

 

His recommendation profile clearly states the following:

 

"Dr. Doganay's experienced technicians carefully extract follicular units and store them in sterilized cabs in the refrigerator before placement. Dr. Doganay prefers to place grafts in the crucial hairline areas himself while he gets help from experienced technicians for the remaining ones and place the grafts together."

 

They may have wasted a number of my grafts and to compensate either harvested more and/or implanted less grafts. I admit, this one claim I cannot prove..

 

I don't think it's fair to make such a statement when there is no proof that this occurred.

 

 

In my experience they are more like a hair transplant mill than a quality clinic. I was rushed through the whole procedure starting from the inadequate evaluation through the operation itself which (for the most part) was carried out by techs with minimal experience. I have reason to believe they are having 2-4 procedures a day seven days a week in two locations.

 

There are a couple of statements here that I find concerning. First, you state that the techs have "minimal experience". How do you know this? Did you ask them how long they have been in the field or how many procedures they have done?

 

The second is that you say you "have reason to believe" that Dr. Doganay is performing up to 4 procedures per day at two locations and that AHD Clinic is a "hair mill". Again, these statements are very disparaging and my feeling is that they should not be allowed to remain public unless you can supply substantial evidence to support them.

 

Dr. Doganay has maintained that he performs 1 and sometimes 2 procedures daily at a single location and this is also stated in his profile.

 

They sold me their clinic and their procedure as top-notch and less invasive, I only found out now that using micromotor for extraction and Choi implanter for implantation is much more invasive than the techniques used by leading clinics (manual punch, custom made blades, lateral slits.

 

This is absolutely false. A number of top docs use motorized punches and/or implanter pens with great success. My FUE was performed using the Powered SAFE Scribe and I couldn't be happier with the results.

 

I have also learned never to go to a clinic which generates its revenue purely based on the number of grafts they transplant (like them) and don’t charge a fix price. This revenue model will only motivate them to scale up their operation and transplant as many grafts in as little time as possible..

 

I don't know where you got this idea. The vast majority of clinics worldwide charge on a per graft basis. Some have a sliding scale whereby the charge per graft goes down after a specific number but fixed prices are virtually unheard of.

 

I am open to a debate. I will apologize for and withdraw any statement that anyone can disprove.

 

With all due respect, typically it's the accuser that must provide the proof and you've made a number of unsubstantiated accusations while providing surgical photos that appear perfectly acceptable at this stage.

 

Given your age, degree of hair loss and refusal to use medical hair loss treatments, I agree that hair transplant surgery may not have been the best decision at this time but I would not call your case unusual by any means.

 

Based on Dr. Doganay's response, it seems that the clinic was realistic and even conservative in their graft estimate and it seems there is an email trail that may shed more light on the case.

 

However, I don't see the value in further debating your case until your hair transplant has fully matured in 8 more months. If, at that time, your results are truly sub-par I'm certain that Dr. Doganay will work with you to ensure your satisfaction.

 

I do wish you the very best of luck and I hope that you ultimately obtain the result that you hope for.

[paleocapa89]

I arrived to Dr Hakan Doganay with a receding hairline and he merely looked at my head and did not evaluate my hair loss and miniaturization at all. If he did, it would had become clear that I not only have a receding hairline but a full, advanced norwood 5A-6 balding pattern. If I was told that, I would never had went through with the procedure. I clearly articulated before the procedure that I do not want to take propecia due to sides. We talked about potential future hair loss given my family history, but I was not informed that I am already way down the road. ( I became aware of my hairloss situation when my hair started to grow back postop)

 

- Dr. Hakan Doganay did not evaluate my donor capacity either. He carelessly drew a new (somewhat low) hairline on my head using up 2500 grafts (for which I already paid for in advance). He did not warn me about my ongoing hair loss, or come up with a conservative game plan for the long term.

 

You had operation on 11th and 12th July, 2015. Before the operation, you wanted to visit our clinic for a face to face consultation, and you come to the clinic on 26th May, 2015. In this consultation we evaluated the donor area and hairless area. We clearly mentioned that you may need a second operation in the future due to further hair loss, you need to use medicine, otherwise you could lose your hair.

 

Additionally, after the face to face consultation, you mentioned in your email that you wonder whether you should go even more than 2500 grafts, and we replied that "please also think for future hair loss". Please check the emails on May 28, 2015.

 

 

Yes, I have visited your clinic prior to the operation, and yes we have talked about potential future hair loss due to my family history. But no you have not evaluated neither my donor capacity, neither my donor density,diameter etc. nor my ongoing miniaturization. If you had evaluated me properly the miniaturization would had became evident. I would not consider taking a quick look at my head an evaluation. If you had evaluated me correctly with the adequate equipment, please share the information here for the forum members: donor capacity, donor density, hair diameter, level of miniaturization etc.

 

To sum up: I sent you pictures of my hair loss thinking I only had a receding hairline, and you told me I am eligible for a hair transplant and I will need 2200 grafts. Then I visited your clinic told you I can't take propecia due to sides and asked you whether one can have a procedure without propecia and you told me yes. I told you I want something to better frame my face. You took a quick look at my hair and confirmed that I need 2500 grafts and drew a low youthful hairline on my head, basically reinforcing me in my belief that I only had a receding hairline. Yes, I was asking whether more grafts would give a better outcome, because I had no information about my CURRENT hair loss at all.

 

Not one word was told me about any ongoing miniaturization at all. If you told me I would have canceled the procedure. Who in his right mind would want to put 2500 grafts to the front when he has an advanced norwood 5-6 pattern? What doctor would recommend putting 2500 grafts to the front when the patient has an advanced norwood 5-6 level of miniaturization?

 

You basically recommended me a procedure and planned it without proper knowledge of my miniaturization and my donor capacity. How can you come up with a game plan without this crucial information? You can't.

 

Let me ask you this:

Given that I am very young. I have aggressive hair loss. My family history shows high norwood scale hair loss. You never checked for miniaturization and donor capacity. And I told you I am not on propecia and I do not want to take propecia for the rest of my life due to sides. On what basis did you think I was a good candidate for a hair transplant? What made me a good candidate? What made you think 2500 grafts to the front is a good approach?

 

 

 

 

 

In the IAHRS website it was written that Dr. Hakan Doganay extracts and implants the grafts himself, I only found out later that he uses techs with very little experience do all the extraction and a part of the implantation as well.

Dr. Hakan Doganay – Turkey Hair Transplant MD | IAHRS Member

 

You had operation on 11th and 12th July, 2015. Before the operation, on April 21, 2015 you asked about procedure details in your email. We emailed you the following link for the plan and details: www.hakandoganayfue.com/hair-transplantation/our-methods

 

In the link, the surgery details including the extraction procedure explained. Please check the email on April 21, 2015.

 

Yes you have emailed a link to a website which could have changed by now. Here is how it looked like earlier:

 

Our methods

 

Yes, it still states, that the HEAD technician extracts the grafts, and not the doctor (although in my case I think it was not the head technician but someone with less experience, If you care, please share who performed the extraction and the years of experience she had.)

 

My main point is, most parts of the operation were performed by technicians without Dr Hakan Doganay even being there. The technicians were chitchating, listening to their music, dropping equipment etc. It was far from a professional environment.

 

I think it is not a coincidence that many patients prior to me had badly scarred donor area and misaligned / not growing grafts implanted by the technicians.

 

And no, it is not true that Dr Hakan Doganay implants the whole hairline, and the technician only implants the vertex as the technician who worked on me implanted nearly all of my grafts on the left side and I basically had a "hairline operation". Anyway the difference in quality can be clearly seen between my right and left side. The grafts are growing in every direction.

 

In addition, I clearly remember Dr Hakan Doganay leaving the operation during the implantation before the procedure even finished. And when it was over and I stood up and you handed me a mirror the left side and the right side of my hairline and temples were VERY uneven. And when I mentioned this your technician started to panic and started pulling out some grafts that were already implanted. (Dr Hakan Doganay had already left)

 

Do you call this a professional, quality work? I do not. My hairline is still uneven to this day.

 

And

 

- They may have wasted a number of my grafts and to compensate either harvested more and/or implanted less grafts. I admit, this one claim I cannot prove. However the techs were dropping equipment and cursing during the operation and I have a picture with discarded grafts laying on top of my head. I have uploaded my post-op donor picture and a bunch of post op donor pictures from other clinics’ 2500 graft procedures and compared to them my donor area looks overharvested and thinned out in certain points. In my opinion they either transected a lot of grafts, harvested more or didn’t care about the pattern at all. When I mentioned the donor scarring they told me thatafter a FUE procedure one should wear its hair at least 1-1,5 cm long to cover it!! To my understanding the very reason of a FUE procedure is to be able to wear my hair 4-5mm long. Anyway, my hair is longer than 1,5 cm and the signs of the scarring is still visible. Anyone can check it and decide.

 

 

The grafts were not wasted. Normally, we transplant 2500 grafts in 1 day, but upon your request, we did your operation in 2 days.

 

Additionally, in your email you mentioned that another clinic advised 4200 grafts. We emailed back that it seems that you don't need 4200 grafts, and around 2500 grafts should be enough, but the exact number of grafts will be decided when you are in our clinic. Also, we advised to get estimation for the number of grafts from other top clinics to double check. Please check your email on April 13th, 2015.

 

Before the operation in the clinic, we mentioned that wearing hair at least 1-1,5 cm long depending on the scalp is necessary to cover the sign of the operation.Also, your donor on the pictures seem normal for 4 months.

 

I admit, this one claim I can not prove with hard evidence, however as I told you, the technicians were dropping equipments during the operation and I have a picture with discarded grafts laying on top of my head.

 

 

There is no way to prove it, but I have a feeling that they might have extracted more, but it is based on the fact how overharvested my donor area looks like in certain points. But maybe it is because the technicians transected the nearby follicles, or maybe because they did not care about the pattern I don't know, what I do know is that I can't wear my hair short anymore.

 

I think it is not a coincidence either that many ex-patients complained about donor scarring.

 

An no, you did not tell me that after a FUE procedure one can only wear its hair 1-1,5 cm long. The whole point of the FUE to be able to wear the hair very short without noticeable scarring. If you can't provide that you might as well do strip procedures or at least warn your patients about it properly.

 

 

 

- Upon questioning they told me that they implanted 50 grafts/cm2 (check the pictures to see if that is true) and that they have harvested 2500 grafts (check the pictures if that is true) Upon questioning they told me I have an average donor with 45-50 grafts/cm2, which is a guess at best as they never measured it, and it is way out of the literature which states an average donor is between 65-85 grafts/cm2. If my donor density was in fact 50 grafts/cm2 that would had meant that it was low and I was not suitable for a FUE hair transplant.

Distribution of Human Hair in Follicular Units - ResearchGate

 

As we mentioned in our email, we meant the density of the receiving area, which is 45-50 grafts/per cm2. Please check the "after 2 weeks" pictures showing the density of the receiving area.

 

The donor area supply was enough as it can be seen on the pictures. Otherwise, we would not accept this operation. There are some potential patients.And even if some of them insist to have operation from our clinic, we reject them since their supplies are not enough.

 

Taking a quick look at my hair and deciding my donor area is enough for the quoted 2500 graft procedure is not a professional approach. Is it enough to cover the further hair loss as well?

 

When I asked you about the donor density (knowing that you never measured it) I wanted to test whether you give me an honest answer. This is what you wrote:

 

"Donor Density: Average, which is 45-50/per cm2

 

Use tools: Micro motor with 0.7 mm punch attached

 

Implanter pen needle size: 0,6 mm for single graft 0.8 mm for double grafts 1 mm for triple grafts

 

Minumum 4 years experience assistance extracting performed by Fatma Can Implantation performed by Dr. Hakan His assistance name Şerife Kapson

 

Density of grafts put in the recipient.. 50 grafts implanted in per cm2

 

You have clearly differentiated your two answers regarding the donor density and the recipient density. Only after I told you that the average donor density is 65-85 cm2 you changed your answer. The truth is, you have no idea about my donor density because you have never measured it.

 

 

 

 

In my experience they are more like a hair transplant mill than a quality clinic. I was rushed through the whole procedure starting from the inadequate evaluation through the operation itself which (for the most part) was carried out by techs with minimal experience. I have reason to believe they are having 2-4 procedures a day seven days a week in two locations.

 

As we mentioned, normally, we transplant 2500 grafts in 1 day, but upon your request, we did your operation in 2 days, and your operation was not rushed. We have 1 or maximum 2 procedures a day, and we have only one location.

 

As our regular process, we keep monitoring our patients by asking them to update us with the pictures until seeing the full result as we do for you.

 

Yes, I asked you to split the procedure to two days, because I already felt rushed with every aspect of the procedure. And you did split it to two days.

 

However I can clearly remember you told me you are operating 7days a week at least two procedures a day. And I can clearly remember you told me you have two locations, two private hospitals. Former ex-patients might back me up on this one. Since Dr Hakan Doganay does only very minimal part of the procedure, it is not hard to believe that you can cram up to 3- 4 procedures to one day.

 

If it prove to be a false allegation, I apologize, that would mean you are doing 2 procedures a day 7 days a week

 

 

Thanks

Edited October 20, 2015 by paleocapa89

[CJD]

I remember 2 years ago the doctor in question was praised highly on this forum. Over the past year reviews with growth issues pop up on a weekly basis.

 

I'm also seeing a pattern where "one side doesn't grow in". Clinics would love to blame a patient's freak physiology for poor growth but if one side matures beautifully and the other one doesn't, it has little to do with the patient unless he caused trauma to that side post op or pulled out grafts.

 

The doctor did deliver great results in the past. I suspect this is a tech/implanting issue.

 

How many bad reviews does it take for a doctor to lose a recommendation?

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with you. I have seen many bad results and experiences from this doctor recently . The OP did a good job listing many relevant posts.

I am troubled by the fact that doctors that are "recommended" seem to always be recommended. It seems there can never be enough proof for anyone. The significance of being "recommended" has therefor diminished so much in my eyes that it is a useless side note IMO . For example, I know of some terrible treatment rendered by Dr. Erdogan to several people yet one would think he has an unblemished record by looking on this site. Nothing seems to really be done even when people complain directly to the site. I would advise everyone to do well beyond the amount of research they think is necessary before choosing a doctor. They should also realize that doctors are here to advertise and do not advertise the bad results ! It is therefor very important for people to discuss their bad experiences even if others attempt to minimize them.

 

Unfortunately, I have noticed patients seem to be attacked often for a negative post as if they are at fault...either by moderators, representatives, or by other loyal patients. People are therefor ashamed to post bad results. Even when they do, nothing is done. It seems the word of the patient who has had a bad experience is never considered to be the truth as if they cannot somehow accurately document what transpired . A patient has nothing to gain from saying something bad while a doctor has everything to gain by defending themselves against a bad result or a patient's bad review.

 

The claims the OP made about not being properly examined or having their density properly measured/analyzed is disturbing. It seems one cannot properly even be considered a good candidate or have a plan put in place for the future without having that done. Simply telling a patient they will need a second surgery is not sufficient enough in my opinion to replace a detailed exam. While I do not personally know much about this doctor or the number of surgeries this doctor performs on a given day, I will say that I do feel that other doctors in that area do perform multiple surgeries in one day. IMO , this is becoming a trend that I feel is responsible for many poor and inconsistent results that are often seen.

 

A patient often books with a doctor based on their name. Sometimes that can even include a statement or video by a doctor showing them personally extracting and placing grafts . Then when the patient arrives for surgery, they realize often during the actual surgery that nearly the entire surgery is performed by techs. To me that is false advertising and is dishonest. Dr Erdogan does this. In the video he uses to advertise and represent himself, he extracts the grafts. In reality, he only makes incisions in the multiple surgeries he is involved in every day. This is simply dishonest IMO and is an advertising ploy. If he advertised the fact that he only makes incisions during his surgeries and does not do extractions or implantations, people would not be nearly as attracted to book with him. Any doctor that is not honest in any way should be removed from this site IMO.

 

I would advise paleocapa89 to take meds to achieve the best long term results. It would seem the end result would be obvious without them given your stated family history and loss pattern.

paleocapa89, please give your result some more time to pan out since that will be the best way to determine the true outcome . This does not change the fact you were or were not treated properly. I do not doubt your word. I do welcome any evidence you choose to put forth to contradict what the doctor has said as it will serve to inform other people who will read this. Keep us updated.

Good luck to you !

[paleocapa89]

First, I would like to thank Dr. Doganay for being proactive in responding to paleo's statements and concerns.

 

I would also like to address some of these issues.

 

Paleo,

 

As a hair transplant patient with 3 surgeries under my belt (both strip and FUE), the first of which yielded less than expected growth, I understand the compulsion to second-guess your decision, your physician's advice and the work itself. When I was in that position, I received some very good advice from this community and that was to wait until the results grew in before assessing the quality of the work. That was good advice and it's the best advice you'll get at this early stage.

 

I have reviewed your photos and, from what I can tell, the hairline looks appropriate for the number of grafts and in the design. I cannot honestly evaluate the donor area. Perhaps someone else may be able to offer their input.

 

While I believe you are sincere in sharing your experience, I think your fears and concerns are very premature and I have to take issue with some of your claims.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleocapa89 View Post

It has been 4 month since the operation and my recipient area never looked good for one minute since. It is red, bumpy with red spots and minimal growth.

At only 4 months this is pretty standard. Growth should be minimal at this point. Yes, you will hear about some patients who heal quickly and look great in a month or two. That was never my personal experience. With my first two transplants I remained quite red for many weeks.

 

Folliculitis is not common but can happen. For patients that travel abroad for surgery, getting the diagnosis can be tough. Unfortunately, consulting with a local physician is a must if you suspect complications.

 

 

Dear David,

I understand one should wait at least 12 month to evaluate the results of a hair transplant, however, most of my allegations would still stand if I get the best growth in the world.

 

I was not properly assessed, Dr Hakan Doganay just took a quick look at my head and recommended me a procedure of 2500 grafts to the front. Not one word was told me about any ongoing miniaturization at all. If I was told I would have canceled the procedure. Who in his right mind would want to put 2500 grafts to the front when he has an advanced norwood 5-6 pattern? What doctor would recommend putting 2500 grafts to the front when the patient has an advanced norwood 5-6 level of miniaturization?

 

They basically recommended me a procedure and planned it without proper knowledge of my miniaturization and my donor capacity. How can you come up with a game plan without this crucial information? You can't. Now it became evident I will lose my hair in a norwood 5-6 pattern an I don't have nearly enough hair to compensate for it.

 

 

I also know that my emotional state can influence how I evaluate things retrospectively, that is why I try to remain objective and back up everything I claim as best as I can.

 

I know folliculitis can happen, however after repeatedly sending HD photos to Dr Hakan Doganay and even flying back for a personal consultation, I was never properly diagnosed and I would be still dealing with it if I had not approached a trusted hair restoration surgeon and a dermatologist.

 

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleocapa89 View Post

In the IAHRS website it was written that Dr. Hakan Doganay extracts and implants the grafts himself, I only found out later that he uses techs with very little experience do all the extraction and a part of the implantation as well.

Our community is not affiliated with the IAHRS and our Terms of Service prohibit linking to any of their resources. However, Dr. Doganay is recommended by our community and you can view his profile here.

 

His recommendation profile clearly states the following:

 

"Dr. Doganay's experienced technicians carefully extract follicular units and store them in sterilized cabs in the refrigerator before placement. Dr. Doganay prefers to place grafts in the crucial hairline areas himself while he gets help from experienced technicians for the remaining ones and place the grafts together."

 

Again: this is how his profile looked earlier when I was planning my procedure, a lot could have changed since then, but luckily there is always trace on the internet:

 

"...Dr. Doganay is very hands on and personally extracts and places all the grafts himself. ...

 

...In his hands, transection rates and damage to follicular units during extraction and placement are typically minimal...

 

...Dr. Doganay then carefully places all the grafts himself into tiny recipient sites using the pen implanter....

 

Dr. Hakan Doganay Hair Transplant Surgeon in Antalya, Turkey

 

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleocapa89 View Post

They may have wasted a number of my grafts and to compensate either harvested more and/or implanted less grafts. I admit, this one claim I cannot prove..

I don't think it's fair to make such a statement when there is no proof that this occurred.

 

I admit, this one claim I can not prove with hard evidence, however as I told you, the technicians were dropping equipments during the operation and I have a picture with discarded grafts laying on top of my head.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleocapa89 View Post

In my experience they are more like a hair transplant mill than a quality clinic. I was rushed through the whole procedure starting from the inadequate evaluation through the operation itself which (for the most part) was carried out by techs with minimal experience. I have reason to believe they are having 2-4 procedures a day seven days a week in two locations.

There are a couple of statements here that I find concerning. First, you state that the techs have "minimal experience". How do you know this? Did you ask them how long they have been in the field or how many procedures they have done?

 

The second is that you say you "have reason to believe" that Dr. Doganay is performing up to 4 procedures per day at two locations and that AHD Clinic is a "hair mill". Again, these statements are very disparaging and my feeling is that they should not be allowed to remain public unless you can supply substantial evidence to support them.

 

Dr. Doganay has maintained that he performs 1 and sometimes 2 procedures daily at a single location and this is also stated in his profile.

 

Upon asking they told me the techs have a "minimum of 4 years experience". They could have told me an exact number but they didn't. I admit I can not prove it, I can only warn other people that in my opinion they have very little experience. Some of them seemed even younger than me and I am only 26 years old. The only way to decide this question is to Dr Hakan Doganay publicly post who he is working with and those techs' CV's.

 

I am certain that they are having at least 2 procedures a day seven days a week. I do remember the number 4 procedures in two different locations but you are right, I can not prove it. Maybe former patients can confirm this.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleocapa89 View Post

They sold me their clinic and their procedure as top-notch and less invasive, I only found out now that using micromotor for extraction and Choi implanter for implantation is much more invasive than the techniques used by leading clinics (manual punch, custom made blades, lateral slits.

This is absolutely false. A number of top docs use motorized punches and/or implanter pens with great success. My FUE was performed using the Powered SAFE Scribe and I couldn't be happier with the results.

 

I care to disagree with you on this one. Upon searching rigorously I have found that manual punch, custom made blades and lateral slits are the most advanced and least invasive way of a hair transplant. This was not evident to me only after hours of research (which I should have done earlier) There must be a reason why all the leading docs use these techniques.

 

I think it is very misleading toward the newbies with very little information to state that all the techniques are equal. They are not. In my opinion the extraction and the recipient site creation is the most important part of the surgery. A doctor should not let these two aspects out of his hands.

 

And after all the tool is only as good as the person using it. And all the extraction and most of the implantation was done by techs.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleocapa89 View Post

I have also learned never to go to a clinic which generates its revenue purely based on the number of grafts they transplant (like them) and don’t charge a fix price. This revenue model will only motivate them to scale up their operation and transplant as many grafts in as little time as possible..

I don't know where you got this idea. The vast majority of clinics worldwide charge on a per graft basis. Some have a sliding scale whereby the charge per graft goes down after a specific number but fixed prices are virtually unheard of.

 

It is simple economics. If you get your revenue exclusively based on the grafts you transplant you will be motivated to transplant as many grafts in as little time as possible. However if you set a flat minimal charge like fix 5000 dollars for 1000 grafts or less than you will be able to cover the fix costs of the procedure even if you only transplanted 700 grafts.

Edited October 20, 2015 by paleocapa89

[Yaz89]

Hi Paleo, viewing your pics your donor area looks fine. I believe it is shock loss and give it a few months it will be back to normal.

 

As for the frontal, did you stop using regaine/rogaine after the transplant to ensure trouble-free healing? It is well known after a hair transplant. Minoxidil should be stopped until the area has healed otherwise it can irrate the area

[Yaz89]

Oh and David can you check CJD's ip address? I believe it is an banned poster or one of their cronies. I suppose you remember the troubles we had wIth Dr M's gang few months ago. He is bashing Dr Koray Erdogan without any valid proof or links. I even send him an private message and he has not responded.

[paleocapa89]

Hi Yaz89

 

yes, it might be shocklos, however the thinned out region on the middle of the back of my head is the same from post op day 1 so I think they have simply overharvested the area. But we will see, that is why I will document everything up to 1 year to be fair.

 

 

 

 

No I was not on minoxidil and I am still not on it.

[Yaz89]

I have noticed with motorised tools, the donor area looks like yours but it does come back to normal. If you look at David's donor area, it was very similar at 4 months, despite him having 2 FUT's and he had his FUE a few months ago. His donor looked exactly like yours but his recent pics, the donor is back to normal. Be patient. And did you stop the regaine after transplant?

[paleocapa89]

I stopped using regaine 1 year before the procedure so my real hair loss situation could be examined (which did not happen adequately) and I have not used it since the operation because my recipient area never looked healthy enough to use it.

[Yaz89]

Thanks for the clarification. How old are you now? I am 26 (27 to be). It is very important at our age to protect our native hair. Fin is the only option to slow it down really. Shame you had sides but I believe the sides go away once your body adapts to the medicine

[Wwiizzkkiidd24]

hi there,

 

it's a shame you had a bad experience with the doctor in question I also was under the impression he done most if not all of the procedure but that's not the case which is disappointing as you want the doctor to be heavily involved in every aspect of the procedure which he clearly is not. I did see a vidoe of hes on Youtube and he was doing all of the implanting with his techs loading up the the pen and he did say he's techs experience ranges from a couple months to ten years.I don't know if there still there or not but going by what you're saying theye can't be there anymore. I have seen some good results done by Dr hakan but only recently hastarted there been some average results posted by him or patients. I hope he fixes up otherwise I don't see how his recommendation can still stand.

 

as for your picture agree with what has been said about your donor area it does look like shockloss thankfully it's still early and things can still turn around. be patient. I no its hard but just wait it out for a couple months I'm sure it will.get better.

[Spidey]

So you have a pictures of TWO hairs... POSSIBLY grafts on the top of your head.. out of a possible 2500, and you are claiming many re wasted? I think patients of HT procedures are too quick on the trigger to blame the Dr regarding their future hair loss. It is up to the patient themselves to do their part in researching HT transplants. With the internet these days, there isn't anything you cannot find online. Surely, you had noticed your diffused thinning prior to your HT? You went in wanting your hairline reconstructed. That is what you got. With respect to the yield, that is yet to be shown whether it is a success or not. The donor looks fine to me. As for the further hairloss, that is on you and no one else to blame.

[Spanker]

I'm a little concerned at the blame the pt is getting.

 

I really think that he has provided enough also to make his claims and should be allowed to share them without being shot full of holes point by point in a seemingly defensive manner so quickly, some of which I agreed with but some I didn't.

 

What burden of proof does he have other than photos and allowing the doc to speak about his case? The rest is a he said she said. Do the patients have to record their surgeries aND phone calls? Let's be reasonable. This is a place for patients and by patients.

 

I think he has some fair concerns and some are probably not merited.

 

Overall I agree that the surgery as it was planned was probably a bad decision that won't last long if and when it matures because he is not a fin user. Everything behind the transplant is going to go. He should have been told that and maybe he was and maybe he wasn't.

 

I do think the donor will get better and I don't think your hairline is too low. I do think that you'll need to plant behind it sooner than later and you should leave your crown alone and let it go naturally as you'll need your donor for the frontal 2/3. So, I don't think this is a catastrophe. I just think you will need more work quicker than you expected before your surgery.

 

I am not condemning the doc here, it just isn't what me (Spanker) would have advocated and I understand his concern. That's all. It is fixable and I would not even call it a repair. I have not reason to believe that grafts were intentionally wasted and no reason to believe that the clinic would be unethical. That's all I have to say, I just think we should be careful about persecuting people whow are unhappy as we want this to be a positive place for clinics and patients.

[paleocapa89]

So you have a pictures of TWO hairs... POSSIBLY grafts on the top of your head.. out of a possible 2500, and you are claiming many re wasted? I think patients of HT procedures are too quick on the trigger to blame the Dr regarding their future hair loss. It is up to the patient themselves to do their part in researching HT transplants. With the internet these days, there isn't anything you cannot find online. Surely, you had noticed your diffused thinning prior to your HT? You went in wanting your hairline reconstructed. That is what you got. With respect to the yield, that is yet to be shown whether it is a success or not. The donor looks fine to me. As for the further hairloss, that is on you and no one else to blame.

 

If you cared to read my whole post you would know that even I admit that graft wasting can not be proven without doubt, however the wasted grafts laying on top of my head and the other things I mentioned are not good signs. But sure, you must know better than me. Would you consider a quality work when grafts are laying on top of your head? I don't think so.

 

And no, I did not notice the diffuse thinning but you know that better as well don't you. I went in not to get my hairline reconstructed, but to GET MY HAIR LOSS EVALUATED AND GET INFORMATION ABOUT MY ELIGIBILITY FOR A HAIR TRANSPLANT. Do you think I would have done a procedure if I was aware of my thinning? Do you think I would have want 2500 grafts put in the front if I was aware of it or I was told about the ongoing thinning? No I would not.

 

Do I think it would have been the doctor's responsibility to properly assess me and inform me? Yes I do, it is his frickin job, he earns money by doing it, he is the professional, there are ethical guidelines he adopted to follow.

 

And guess what, not everybody is perfect like you. I'm sure you would have done the research and every aspect of the procedure perfectly. Hell, I think you would have done the operation on your head by yourself as well.

Edited October 18, 2015 by paleocapa89

[esrec]

I'm a little concerned at the blame the pt is getting.

 

I really think that he has provided enough also to make his claims and should be allowed to share them without being shot full of holes point by point in a seemingly defensive manner so quickly, some of which I agreed with but some I didn't.

 

What burden of proof does he have other than photos and allowing the doc to speak about his case? The rest is a he said she said. Do the patients have to record their surgeries aND phone calls? Let's be reasonable. This is a place for patients and by patients.

 

I think he has some fair concerns and some are probably not merited.

 

Overall I agree that the surgery as it was planned was probably a bad decision that won't last long if and when it matures because he is not a fin user. Everything behind the transplant is going to go. He should have been told that and maybe he was and maybe he wasn't.

 

I do think the donor will get better and I don't think your hairline is too low. I do think that you'll need to plant behind it sooner than later and you should leave your crown alone and let it go naturally as you'll need your donor for the frontal 2/3. So, I don't think this is a catastrophe. I just think you will need more work quicker than you expected before your surgery.

 

I am not condemning the doc here, it just isn't what me (Spanker) would have advocated and I understand his concern. That's all. It is fixable and I would not even call it a repair. I have not reason to believe that grafts were intentionally wasted and no reason to believe that the clinic would be unethical. That's all I have to say, I just think we should be careful about persecuting people whow are unhappy as we want this to be a positive place for clinics and patients.

 

Want to know which part of OP note concerned me most? Mentions of tech's playing music, dropping equipment, and not being 100% serious the entire time. Sounds less relevant and trivial in grand scheme of topic here, but usually a good indication of how meticulous, process-oriented and orderly the doctor keeps his room and staff--or lack thereof. For behavior like this to be condoned is offensive to the patient. I really hope this didnt happen. Not even a little bit of this is ok. The staff and doctor should be present and 100% professional the entire time.

 

The OP took a long time to write what he did. Like Spanker said, to what degree is premature overreaction vs valid concern is up for debate, but his concerns should be fairly addressed.

[SunSeeker]

It seems like people are being really hard on paleocapa89. some of the stuff he is saying sounds kind of scary to me too. sorry about your experience paleocapa89. Thank you for writing all this. I hope it all is okay for you in the end.

[Melvin- Admin]

This thread is very unsettling, I will say this though, I'm in a similar situation myself I had my procedure on July 16th with Dr. Diep, if you do the math it's been 3 months not 4, but neither here nor there, I have some similar complaints, but I'm going to withhold judgment until 12 months, if at that point the result is not satisfactory I'll be for sure making a thread about it, but as for now I think it's a bit unfair to say the doctor wasted grafts unless you have the result to back the claim, I definitely understand where your coming from though, and these complaints even if they have no bearing on the results itself should be addressed. It's not ok to be dropping things cursing, and being unprofessional during a surgical procedure, not sure if Dr. Doganay is aware that happens but he needs to fix it right away that's bad business, it's imperative he hires staff with some sense of professionalism.

 

Op I do feel though that your letting your emotions and doubt poison your mind, try not e negative, even if you had a negative experience your result may be good, also your donor area looks ok, you definitely have enough for another procedure in the future, I recommend getting on lipogaine asap to slow your hairloss, pm me if you need someone to talk to, I know how hard it can be, and trust me I have the same negative thoughts enter my mind as well, it's not good to let those negative thoughts manifest, wait he 12 months at that point if your not happy re-asses and I'm sure you can still get a favorable outcome.

[esrec]

This thread is very unsettling, I will say this though, I'm in a similar situation myself I had my procedure on July 16th with Dr. Diep, if you do the math it's been 3 months not 4, but neither here nor there, I have some similar complaints, but I'm going to withhold judgment until 12 months, if at that point the result is not satisfactory I'll be for sure making a thread about it, but as for now I think it's a bit unfair to say the doctor wasted grafts unless you have the result to back the claim, I definitely understand where your coming from though, and these complaints even if they have no bearing on the results itself should be addressed. It's not ok to be dropping things cursing, and being unprofessional during a surgical procedure, not sure if Dr. Doganay is aware that happens but he needs to fix it right away that's bad business, it's imperative he hires staff with some sense of professionalism.

 

Op I do feel though that your letting your emotions and doubt poison your mind, try not e negative, even if you had a negative experience your result may be good, also your donor area looks ok, you definitely have enough for another procedure in the future, I recommend getting on lipogaine asap to slow your hairloss, pm me if you need someone to talk to, I know how hard it can be, and trust me I have the same negative thoughts enter my mind as well, it's not good to let those negative thoughts manifest, wait he 12 months at that point if your not happy re-asses and I'm sure you can still get a favorable outcome.

 

can you share, if even delicately and partially, what your concerns to date are? that why we are all here. totally respect your desire to wait for a full report.

[Melvin- Admin]

I didn't like that the dr didn't check on me before I left, I believe he was going out of the country but still at least a bye would have sufficed, I also didn't like that I was basically knocked out for most of the procedure, how much he did himself is unknown I know he designed my hairline, how much of the extraction is a mystery can't say it was him or his techs cause I was out. Overall it lacked good bedside manner, don't need to be treated like a baby, but don't like to feel like a number either, but that's not to say the result will be bad, I'm hopeful it's going to be good, he certainly has the portfolio to show he's a very skilled surgeon and one of the best. But I will not be making a thread about everything unless the final result is available, at that point if I'm unhappy no doubt a detailed thread will be made, but if ppl ask about my experience I'm willing to share it.

[paleocapa89]

Alright, a lot of people seem to be giving extra attention to my claim of graft wastage, and not the other ones which in my opinion are much more unsettling. Although I do have a photo with two grafts laying on top of my head and I do think the techs behaved unprofessional from time to time during the operation, I admit I can not prove they wasted more than those two grafts.

 

However the possible overharvestation of my donor area does concern me as many former patient of Dr Hakan Doganay ended up with badly scarred donor. And the fact that the clinic is telling me after the procedure that a FUE scarring should be covered with at least 1-1,5cm long hair is just infuriating. It contradicts the very reason of having a FUE procedure.