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Feller/Bloxham set up


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  • Senior Member

Guys,

 

Accusations and bickering are not driving this discussion forward. Please refrain from personal attacks. If this thread continues on this path we're going to have to close it.

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

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  • Senior Member

Dear David

 

This post has over 200 relies and 10,000 + views for a reason--very little of which have to do with inflammatory and personal attacks. This is about standard setting and patient ability to get information from sites like this that act as defacto industry watchdogs.

 

The moderators have been silent mostly--and the mud slinging allows you to do so. It provides you little reason to intervene so unfortunately the focus is list.

 

David--what are you going to do with the standards you set for Doctor approval if the practice changes its operating standards? Please answer this: do you agree that if you evaluate practice "A" or "B" fir membership and then the conditions under which you evaluated it originally change, membership must be reevaluated ? If so under what conditions would you reevaluate specifically ?

 

Thanks

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  • Senior Member
Asking David or any moderator to answer the two questions I asked above. Thanks.

 

Good luck with that mate. These are great questions, but I am afraid to say that these have been and will continue to be ignored. I think the moderators are just hoping that this matter gets forgotten. I really do respect what they do, and to Bill's credit, he did come out earlier in the thread with his view, but these questions, like the ones I asked previously, are tough questions that challenge the establishment. I think the fact that they haven't even gone and adjusted Dr Feller's profile page to document that the clinic now only offers a Feller/Bloxham combo tells us that they are simply waiting for all of this to be forgotten. Quite frankly, I suspect the moderators were pretty much caught with their pants down by both Dr Feller changing the way his clinic performs surgeries and when Doganay started delegated the incision making process to technicians. These are significant changes that I would expect the Moderators should be aware about when they happen. Bill came out asking some great questions to Feller earlier on in the thread, but why weren't they asked when Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham first announced their partnership? We call that being reactive instead of proactive.

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  • Senior Member

Thanks Stig these are good points. Moderators I choose my HT surgeons based on recommendations on this site and the way it operates and also visited an additional 6 more in my search. After approximatley $30,000 spent--and more to come--all I ask to start after 7 years of using your site and your recommendations is to answer in the first instance those two questions I asked by reply to this thread (Bill as you said you would earlier). Thanks.

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  • Senior Member

Let me point out a couple of things. First, no one has ignored this thread. If, as has been explicitly stated, we were hoping it would go away, I certainly would not have posted recently to ask everyone participating to remain civil and refrain from lobbing personal insults.

 

The second thing I'd like to point out is that takes nothing more than a couple of clicks of the mouse to make this discussion disappear if that is what we want to have happen. Clearly it's remained open and we've allowed the discussion to continue. Isn't that proof enough that no one is attempting to silence the debate?

 

Bill has made his opinion clear. Dr. Feller and Dr. Bloxham have every right to run their clinic as they see fit. As long as patients receive informed consent and are made to fully understand who will be performing their surgery then the patient has every right to make the decision to have surgery with them or to choose another surgeon. As Dr. Feller stated, "Long before any deposit is offered, all patients know and understand that we perform procedures together. Should a patient ask to only have me perform the surgery to the exclusion of Dr. Bloxham I would deny the request."

 

In my opinion, the most important questions that need to be answered are, how much participation and oversight does Dr. Feller have in each and every procedure and how does this affect the consistency of the results that are being produced?

 

Should this affect his recommendation or Coalition status? Bill has already weighed in on this and he feels that it should not.

 

Patients have the power to vote with their money. If this is really such an issue among patients that it affects business, then I'm sure Dr. Feller will have to rethink this model. If informed patients are not concerned and they are happy with their results then it would appear the model works.

 

The bottom line is that we stand behind Dr. Feller's reputation, his recommendation and his good judgment.

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

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  • Senior Member

Dear David

 

As noted my questions are not about Dr feller. Its for all docs. It's about the standards for this site and its practices.

 

I repost the questions:

 

1. If you evaluated clinic "a" or "b" for membership and the conditions under which you originally evaluated change, Does membership need to be reevaluated ?

2, if yes, under which conditions/circumstances would you reevaluate membership ?

 

Would be really very grateful if you could focus on those two questions. The first can be "yes" or "no" and the second explanatory,

 

Thanks

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I just read (mostly skimmed) through the last 10 pages of this topic and to be honest, it's very difficult to follow. I can see there are many dissenting opinions and I can see that members are very passionate. The one thing I can see and appreciate however, is that members care about operating procedures and at the end of the day, we all want the same thing - what's best for the patient.

 

It does seem by one member's response (Joe I believe his name is) that Dr. Bloxham was more physically involved in the procedure than Dr. Feller, although Dr. Feller did supervise the crucial aspects of the procedure. Who does what part of a procedure is a very delicate and controversial subject and has been so even when discussing the role of technicians, let alone when another physician gets involved.

 

At the end of the day, the supervising physician is the one who is ultimately responsible for the result. If one chooses Dr. Feller for surgery, he is the one responsible, no matter who performs which parts of the procedure. Many physicians have technicians perform the bulk of the procedure which includes microscopically dissecting follicular units and implanting them into recipient sites. Removing and suturing the strip and making incisions takes far less time and energy than the rest, which is typically left up to the technicians. Some physicians play a bigger role than others during these parts and it's always been a very personal decision for patients to select a doctor who is more hands on.

 

That said, here is my personal opinon. I personally feel that if a patient requests Dr. Feller to perform the critical aspects of the surgery that Dr. Feller should honor their request. I don't think it's fair for patients to pay premium prices and not have the same type of hands-on work from Dr. Feller that they used to just because a new doctor is working for him. And while I like Dr. Bloxham and have known him and worked with him for years, he is still newer and while I'm sure he's being supervised and instructed very well by the master (Dr. Feller), I believe a patient should have the ability to select which physician they want to perform their procedure.

 

The above aside, Dr. Feller does have a right to run his clinic/practice the way he feels is best. And as long as he is providing his patients with informed consent, I don't feel that this should affect his Coalition membership. The only thing that I feel should affect this would be if his results start to go downhill as a result of his new procedures/practice. If this happens, we would then reconsider whether or not he should retain his Coalition membership.

 

Regarding Dr. Bloxham, when he establishes himself in time, we can consider him for recommendation and eventually Coalition membership. However, we will have to see examples of his work where he is more hands-on during the procedure in order to weigh in on his technique and his results. Perhaps that's why Dr. Feller is allowing him to do more of the procedure right now, so that Dr. Blake can present a portfolio of work and results so that he can eventually be approved for recommendation by our community.

 

If anyone still has any specific questions for me about my view, they are welcome to ask me and I will do my best to answer. I am not afraid to share my view privately or publicly. While I don't agree with everything Dr. Feller is doing, I don't see any reason to question his membership, especially because at the end of the day, it's the results that matter. Clinics will develop their own practices and each physician will do what they feel will help provide patients with the best results. It appears that patients are still coming out of his clinic happy and as long as that continues, I will be in full support of Dr. Feller.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

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  • Senior Member

Thank you Bill. Appreciate that you share the same concerns as we do and understand the desire for more clarity on who will perform the most critical aspects of surgery--how, when, why, etc.

 

Most patients will not know to ask these important questions. We just care enough to ask.

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  • Senior Member

Bill thanks for replying.

 

Can you confirm that your answers then to my questions two posts above are:

 

1. Yes

2. Only if results go downhill as a result of the new procedures introduced and/or new practice arrangements.

 

Thanks

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  • Senior Member
I just read (mostly skimmed) through the last 10 pages of this topic and to be honest, it's very difficult to follow. I can see there are many dissenting opinions and I can see that members are very passionate. The one thing I can see and appreciate however, is that members care about operating procedures and at the end of the day, we all want the same thing - what's best for the patient.

 

It does seem by one member's response (Joe I believe his name is) that Dr. Bloxham was more physically involved in the procedure than Dr. Feller, although Dr. Feller did supervise the crucial aspects of the procedure. Who does what part of a procedure is a very delicate and controversial subject and has been so even when discussing the role of technicians, let alone when another physician gets involved.

 

At the end of the day, the supervising physician is the one who is ultimately responsible for the result. If one chooses Dr. Feller for surgery, he is the one responsible, no matter who performs which parts of the procedure. Many physicians have technicians perform the bulk of the procedure which includes microscopically dissecting follicular units and implanting them into recipient sites. Removing and suturing the strip and making incisions takes far less time and energy than the rest, which is typically left up to the technicians. Some physicians play a bigger role than others during these parts and it's always been a very personal decision for patients to select a doctor who is more hands on.

 

That said, here is my personal opinon. I personally feel that if a patient requests Dr. Feller to perform the critical aspects of the surgery that Dr. Feller should honor their request. I don't think it's fair for patients to pay premium prices and not have the same type of hands-on work from Dr. Feller that they used to just because a new doctor is working for him. And while I like Dr. Bloxham and have known him and worked with him for years, he is still newer and while I'm sure he's being supervised and instructed very well by the master (Dr. Feller), I believe a patient should have the ability to select which physician they want to perform their procedure.

 

The above aside, Dr. Feller does have a right to run his clinic/practice the way he feels is best. And as long as he is providing his patients with informed consent, I don't feel that this should affect his Coalition membership. The only thing that I feel should affect this would be if his results start to go downhill as a result of his new procedures/practice. If this happens, we would then reconsider whether or not he should retain his Coalition membership.

 

Regarding Dr. Bloxham, when he establishes himself in time, we can consider him for recommendation and eventually Coalition membership. However, we will have to see examples of his work where he is more hands-on during the procedure in order to weigh in on his technique and his results. Perhaps that's why Dr. Feller is allowing him to do more of the procedure right now, so that Dr. Blake can present a portfolio of work and results so that he can eventually be approved for recommendation by our community.

 

If anyone still has any specific questions for me about my view, they are welcome to ask me and I will do my best to answer. I am not afraid to share my view privately or publicly. While I don't agree with everything Dr. Feller is doing, I don't see any reason to question his membership, especially because at the end of the day, it's the results that matter. Clinics will develop their own practices and each physician will do what they feel will help provide patients with the best results. It appears that patients are still coming out of his clinic happy and as long as that continues, I will be in full support of Dr. Feller.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

 

Thank you for the response Bill, your points make a lot of sense, however, I still have to disagree on certain points, it is what it is. Hopefully Dr Feller will answer David's questions and clarify the exact level of his supervision and involvement. Then we can all move on.

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  • 6 months later...
Hi everybody,

 

While I think Matt1978 -- as usual -- brings up a very valid point here, we have always been open and honest about how we do things. So I have no problem answering some of the basic questions posed. In fact, I've done so online several times before.

 

I apologize ahead of time for the anti-climactic answer, but here it is:

 

All patients are informed in writing as to who will perform their procedure. No exceptions. The roles of staff and physicians will vary.

 

Again, sorry for the boring reply. I hope this helps.

 

After they find out you will be performing the procedure and not Feller?

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If I remember correctly the "professor" never met Dr. Bloxham until the day of the procedure is that true or not?

 

QUOTE=Dr. Alan Feller;2459768]Bill,

 

There is no “selection” choice between me and Dr. Bloxham. Not at anytime. We are an unbreakable team. So no patient can ever make a valid claim that they expected Feller for surgery but was blindsided on the day by only getting Bloxham. Do you really believe I work that way after 22 years of practice and sixteen years of being the most open, active, and transparent doctor on HTN ? Do you think Bloxham would engage in this behavior after being a trusted moderator on HTN for the past 5 years? We know we are scrutinized more than most because we enjoy greater visibility. As a result patients have higher expectations of us. We get it, and we don’t disappoint.

 

Let me explain why there is no chance for your concerns to become reality. In our office all patients MUST meet with Dr. Bloxham in consultation during which Dr. Bloxham explains what we (he and I) will attempt to do regarding their surgery should they chose to have one with us. Long before any deposit is offered, all patients know and understand that we perform procedures together. Should a patient ask to only have me perform the surgery to the exclusion of Dr. Bloxham I would deny the request. To date not a single person has made this request. Should a patient happen to make this request just before a procedure I would deny that request as well. To date not a single person has made this request either. But if they did I would give them their deposit back and go enjoy the free time. Maybe make another educational video to post.

 

I obtain informed consent for everything I do. It’s not like a patient isn’t going to notice that 9 people other than myself are going to be working on them that day. But they read it and sign it because they have trust and faith in me. They trust that I am working in their best interests and that I will pick the best instruments, protocols and people to perform their procedure. Because in the end it is MY name on the work.

 

No misrepresentations, no "bait and switch", no “blindsiding”. Just an excellent team of high quality people, as always, which now includes the talented and brilliant Dr. Blake Bloxham.

 

 

I get where some of the anger on these threads are coming from. Of course some comes from disingenuous people who will jump at any opportunity to impugn me or my reputation. That's just the nature of the internet nowadays. But still there are others who believe that my inclusion of Dr. Bloxham into any procedure demonstrates arrogant disrespect toward patients.That patients should have the option not to have Dr. Bloxham participate in the surgery if they don't want him. And should I deny that request I am guilty of disrespecting patients wishes thus viewing them as second class people. I get that. I'd be angry, too.

 

But what these posters have yet to realize is that I give nobody the choice to decide whom I will include in my procedures nor how I will perform my procedures. The Queen of England herself could come into my office tomorrow and say I want my two grandchildren to have their procedures with you Dr. Feller, but only with you and not Dr. Bloxham. And I would deny Her Royal Highnesses request even at the risk of being sent to the Tower because I treat all patients the same and know that having Dr. Bloxham on board makes my procedures better and my practice better. Even if outsiders don't yet understand this. You all have no idea how exceptional this man truly is. You shall soon all find out.

 

I have been making the right decisions for my patients for the past 22 years. I have no intention of stopping that now. Bloxham is the right decision for my practice and this will become more and more self evident in time. If you come to Feller, you come to Bloxham. And you will be the better for it.

 

Dr. Feller

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  • 1 month later...
  • Senior Member

All the doctors I go to have a partner I never know who I will get but I trust the whole of the practice. I pick my doctors from word of mouth, good results and how good the staff is from the front desk to the cleaning crew.

If a doctor has been in practice for a long time I'm sure he knows the ropes of how to hand pick the right people to do the right job. To expand a practice includes adding new staff that has been trained to your own perfection.

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  • 3 months later...

Im a prospective patient wondering if any light has been shed on this issue. Perhaps patients of Feller/Bloxham over the past year could share details of who is performing which aspects of surgery and what is the current role and involvement of Dr. Feller

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Agreed, Dr. Bloxham appears to be an excellent young surgeon. However, his small sample size cannot be compared to 20+ years of Dr. Feller's work and some transparency as to the details of the procedure would be much appreciated by a prospective patient.

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I am by no means criticizing this practice, they have every right to perform procedures how they see fit. As a patient paying considerable money to have a cosmetic elective procedure performed, all I ask is for is information on the way the procedure is performed. A sample response of "Dr Bloxham is now making all incisions while Dr Feller is in the room supervising" would be very simple and adequate. It is strange to me that some variation of that statement has not been made on this thread.

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  • 1 year later...
  • Regular Member
Im a prospective patient wondering if any light has been shed on this issue. Perhaps patients of Feller/Bloxham over the past year could share details of who is performing which aspects of surgery and what is the current role and involvement of Dr. Feller

 

I had a 3500 graft fut with bloxham 2 months back. Bloxham did 100% of the work Feller wasn't in the office that day.

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Long time lurker first time poster. I felt the need to chime in on this thread. I recently had my 3rd HT with Dr Bloxham earlier this month and I must say he is very passionate about his work, knowledgeable, and an artist. There were complications during my HT because my blood was very thin which made it difficult for the Dr to make incisions but he worked through it and im over two weeks post op and im loving the results. All my transplanted hairs have not fell out yet. He excised the old FUT scar from Dr Karamikian (who i despise) and everything has been great thus far. Communication has been great. He even gave me his personal cell phone which i needed to text him over the weekend and he replied right away.

 

Long story short, whether Dr Feller did the Ht or Dr Bloxham, I knew the reputation the practice has and was fine with either Doctor. I dont think Dr Feller would put his reputation on the line by partnering with a putz. Dr Bloxham is the real deal. If you have any doubts just check out their youtube channel. It’s very informative and he answers questions in the comments section. I think i read he was a mod on here for 5 years. Dont know if that’s true but he is a frequent poster on the forum. Check out his work. It’s impressive. To add, their is a technician in their office who has been working there for over 15years! I cant say enough about the experience. If the results are not good i will be back on the forum but i have no doubts they will be great.

 

I live in NY and didnt price any other practices so I am not aure how much more expensive they are compared to others as some have seemed to post, but you get what you pay for. I am happy with the results thus far even tho it is still early.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Regular Member
Long time lurker first time poster. I felt the need to chime in on this thread. I recently had my 3rd HT with Dr Bloxham earlier this month and I must say he is very passionate about his work, knowledgeable, and an artist. There were complications during my HT because my blood was very thin which made it difficult for the Dr to make incisions but he worked through it and im over two weeks post op and im loving the results. All my transplanted hairs have not fell out yet. He excised the old FUT scar from Dr Karamikian (who i despise) and everything has been great thus far. Communication has been great. He even gave me his personal cell phone which i needed to text him over the weekend and he replied right away.

 

Long story short, whether Dr Feller did the Ht or Dr Bloxham, I knew the reputation the practice has and was fine with either Doctor. I dont think Dr Feller would put his reputation on the line by partnering with a putz. Dr Bloxham is the real deal. If you have any doubts just check out their youtube channel. It’s very informative and he answers questions in the comments section. I think i read he was a mod on here for 5 years. Dont know if that’s true but he is a frequent poster on the forum. Check out his work. It’s impressive. To add, their is a technician in their office who has been working there for over 15years! I cant say enough about the experience. If the results are not good i will be back on the forum but i have no doubts they will be great.

 

I live in NY and didnt price any other practices so I am not aure how much more expensive they are compared to others as some have seemed to post, but you get what you pay for. I am happy with the results thus far even tho it is still early.

 

 

Very well said buddy.. This comment should close the discussion,

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