What to look for in a doctor?

[jj2000]

Hi,

 

I've had a few consultations for FUE (2 so far and 3 more in the coming weeks) with local doctors in the San Francisco Bay Area and honestly, I'm not sure what I should be looking for. Most consultations seem to go the same way and the answers are generally the same (number of grafts, short term and long term recovery and results, etc).

 

I've read a handful of threads on this forum, and people have mentioned that they weren't "impressed" by the before/after pictures on doctors' websites, but they don't seem to explain why. Would love to know how other folks are selecting/interviewing doctors.

 

Also, for those interested, the Doctors I'm looking at at. If anyone does have any good info on them, I'd love to hear it (I searched the forum to find some feedback, but I figured it doesn't hurt to ask)

 

1. Dr. Sara Wasserbauer
   
2. Dr. Gorrin
   
3. Dr. Diep
   
4. Dr. Tom Rosanelli
   
5. Ziering Medical
   

 

 

Lastly, I also noticed a number of folks recommending traveling to a better doctor, but unfortunately for personal reasons that isn't something I can pull off.

[jj2000]

Also, what does a bad hair transplant look like? Is it a bunch of shock loss, or something more drastic?

[Stig]

Hi,

 

I've had a few consultations for FUE (2 so far and 3 more in the coming weeks) with local doctors in the San Francisco Bay Area and honestly, I'm not sure what I should be looking for. Most consultations seem to go the same way and the answers are generally the same (number of grafts, short term and long term recovery and results, etc).

 

I've read a handful of threads on this forum, and people have mentioned that they weren't "impressed" by the before/after pictures on doctors' websites, but they don't seem to explain why. Would love to know how other folks are selecting/interviewing doctors.

 

Also, for those interested, the Doctors I'm looking at at. If anyone does have any good info on them, I'd love to hear it (I searched the forum to find some feedback, but I figured it doesn't hurt to ask)

 

1. Dr. Sara Wasserbauer
   
2. Dr. Gorrin
   
3. Dr. Diep
   
4. Dr. Tom Rosanelli
   
5. Ziering Medical
   

 

 

Lastly, I also noticed a number of folks recommending traveling to a better doctor, but unfortunately for personal reasons that isn't something I can pull off.

 

Sorry mate, you need to do a lot more research. HT procedures require very particular skill sets, and it makes a huge difference who you choose. You are definitely going to have to travel to get the best surgeon, but luckily for you you have Steve Gabel in Portland Oregan or Hasson & Wong in Vancuaver relatively close. I would start with those two and would be an upgrade over some of those you listed above like Zeiring, although I believe Dr Diep is doing some good work.

[Stig]

Also, what does a bad hair transplant look like? Is it a bunch of shock loss, or something more drastic?

 

So many ways to botch a HT. Bad angles, low growth, sparse density, unnatural aesthetic look, transacted grafts, infections ect ect.

[jj2000]

Thanks for responding @stig.

 

What makes those folks that I listed so bad? Not seconding guessing your claim, but trying to get a better understanding in what/how these doctors are different.

 

For instance, when you say "HT procedures require very particular skill sets", what skill sets should I be on the lookout for?

 

Thanks!

[Stig]

Thanks for responding @stig.

 

What makes those folks that I listed so bad? Not seconding guessing your claim, but trying to get a better understanding in what/how these doctors are different.

 

For instance, when you say "HT procedures require very particular skill sets", what skill sets should I be on the lookout for?

 

Thanks!

 

its not that they are necessarily bad, its just that there is a big difference between the top surgeons in the world and then what I consider the next best. The guys like Hasson & Wong, Shapiro, Rahal, Erdogan, Konior, and Feriduni are producing consistently stellar results, whilst 2nd tier surgeons produce solid results, but aren't at the same level of the top guys, and the aesthetic result will be noticible. As I said, its a highly skilled profession, and each surgeon has to have an artistic hand. Its not an easy procedure, and there are many different aspects that go into it. Its not like Lasik where multiple doctors can produce the same result. Each surgeon can produce a different result and that's why it is important to choose your surgeon wisely/ If you are looking for a youthful hairline, then Rahal is the best in the business, if you are a higher NW and need the maximum number of grafts to achieve coverage in a single procedure, then Dr Hasson is the best at that, if you need crown work, then Dr Wong is the best at that, if you want an FUE mega-session, then you should consider Erdogan, if you are looking for a mature hairline, go with Dr Ron Shapiro, if you are an older gentleman looking for something conservative, then Bob Bernstein, if you hate FUE and want someone to diss FUE with, then Feller is your man. It really depends what you are looking for, but yes, there will be a difference in the results if you pick an average surgeon over one of the top ones. Not saying an average surgeon can't give you a stellar result, but this is not something you want to chance - that's what the best piece of advice on this forum is to not let geography be a factor in your decision, and be open to traveling.

[esrec]

What Stig said. There's 5-10 surgeons that will knock it out of the park nearly every time. You'll need to upgrade your list. The good news is you were just spoon-fed the best surgeons in the world to consult with. For most people, that would take months to acquire.

 

Consult with as many as you can and take it from there.

[jj2000]

Thanks...this is tremendously helpful information.

 

In my case, FUE is the best option, since I normally keep my hair short (#1 on the sides) and the number of grafts I've been told is roughly around ~1500 (although I'm curious to hear what the other three doctors mention).

 

I'm 35 years old and been taking propecia/proscar for >10 years so the baldness/thinning has stopped for the most part, but I'd love to fill in what I've already lost. It's arguably not that much (I'm told it's Stage 2 in the front) but I figure if I'm ever gonna get this addressed, I should do it now.

 

Based on your description, it sounds like Rahal would be my best bet, although I'm also interested to see Dr. Diep's work.

[myfueblog]

Based on the experience of my 3 last surgeries: The first 2 I had with a renowned doctor, very friendly (Dr. Harris) but at the end I knew after seeing the implanted grafts that the density was going to produce a horrible results. So make sure your doctor is on the same page with the density you are looking for. Also avoid the robot. My donor area was almost depleted donor area and I ended with huge empty circles/scars from that punch.

 

Try to find a doctor who is not afraid of high density surgeries but also proving to you with videos or HD photos that is capable of high yield/survival (like Dr. Lorenzo).

 

In my opinion I really disagree with very conservative doctors that are afraid of implanting high density amount of grafts with the weak argument that they won't survive... The only reason they said that is because they don't have the technique or they want you to return for more low density future surgeries.

 

Good luck,

[mav23100gunther]

Thanks...this is tremendously helpful information.

 

In my case, FUE is the best option, since I normally keep my hair short (#1 on the sides) and the number of grafts I've been told is roughly around ~1500 (although I'm curious to hear what the other three doctors mention).

 

I'm 35 years old and been taking propecia/proscar for >10 years so the baldness/thinning has stopped for the most part, but I'd love to fill in what I've already lost. It's arguably not that much (I'm told it's Stage 2 in the front) but I figure if I'm ever gonna get this addressed, I should do it now.

 

Based on your description, it sounds like Rahal would be my best bet, although I'm also interested to see Dr. Diep's work.

 

Yup, for FUE I think you should be much more open to travelling then. I definitely recommend Dr Rahal due to my bias, but you should also consider Feriduni in Belgium, Dr Ron Shapiro in Minnesota, Dr Erdogan in Turkey, and Dr Lorenzo in Spain. I believe Lorenzo is the gold standard for FUE. Seeing you are going with FUE, even more important that you choose the most skilled surgeon due to increased risk of graft transection and complexity of the procedure compared with FUT.

[Transhair]

Based on the experience of my 3 last surgeries: The first 2 I had with a renowned doctor, very friendly (Dr. Harris) but at the end I knew after seeing the implanted grafts that the density was going to produce a horrible results. So make sure your doctor is on the same page with the density you are looking for. Also avoid the robot. My donor area was almost depleted donor area and I ended with huge empty circles/scars from that punch.

 

Try to find a doctor who is not afraid of high density surgeries but also proving to you with videos or HD photos that is capable of high yield/survival (like Dr. Lorenzo).

 

In my opinion I really disagree with very conservative doctors that are afraid of implanting high density amount of grafts with the weak argument that they won't survive... The only reason they said that is because they don't have the technique or they want you to return for more low density future surgeries.

 

Good luck,

 

It's really just an anecdote but my first hair transplant was 72FU/cm and the growth ended up quite awful, with less than 50% in a most areas. I think that the super high density hair transplants do carry higher risks of grafts not taking. Though it you're talking about the surgeons that refuse to transplant more than 30FU or so in a single session, then I'd agree with you.

[myfueblog]

It's really just an anecdote but my first hair transplant was 72FU/cm and the growth ended up quite awful, with less than 50% in a most areas. I think that the super high density hair transplants do carry higher risks of grafts not taking. Though it you're talking about the surgeons that refuse to transplant more than 30FU or so in a single session, then I'd agree with you.

 

I agree. Dr. Lorenzo for example like surgeries with about 45-50 FU/cm2 that that is for me a very good number vs Dr. Harris that in my first surgery only did like 4 FU/cm2!!! and the results were terrible. I also think that the implanter used by Dr. Lorenzo play an important role in the amazing survival rate and yield of his surgeries. That is why I think watching results in videos (like Dr. Lorenzo do with every single case on his youtube channel) bring a better perspective of the results you will get vs only low res photos of before and after like most doctors do in their sites. I do not endorse Dr. Lorenzo because I still need to wait for my results with them but I definitely value the results he is providing to hundred of patients with super high density surgeries and his technique is amazing.