Is FUE in Turkey a BAD IDEA?

[wheresmyhairdude]

Hi,

 

I've shortlisted a number of surgeons for my FUE transplant, these include surgeons in Belgium and Turkey.

 

However, I saw a number of negative threads about Doganay and now I am very unsure about going to Turkey at all. I was also considering Demirsoy and Yaman, but these are cheaper than Doganay so surely the quality will be similar if not worse? They all use technicians and a motorised punch, so I am really concerned about scarring to my donor area and overall yield (how many grafts actually grow after the procedure).

 

Is Turkey a huge gamble?

 

Another one of my options is Dr de reys in Belgium, who uses a manual punch and does all of the work himself. However, I have also read about some unsatisfactory results from him, namely density and style. He seems much more reliable, but again not great.

 

I'm just really unsure about Turkey as one of these surgeons is also recommended on this very website.

 

Thanks

[mahhong]

I think there are a few reputable doctors in Turkey, but you do have to beware as there are a lot of hair farms with very low standards.

 

I haven't kept up with the transplant industry (just getting back into research now!) but I've been fairly impressed by Erdogan and Doganay based on early research. I haven't read any of these negative threads, however, I'm just going off their websites and prior reputation.

 

I think it's possible to have a good HT in Turkey but research is definitely needed - there are dozens and dozens of terrible hair farms cropping up and Turkey is developing a reputation for them, so do a lot of research before you make a choice.

[Ritchie9]

I had a transplant 3 weeks ago with Dr Erdogan, and they were first class, obviously no idea what the outcome will be like but so far so good. I would definitely put him on your shortlist.

[wylie]

I just read a review of a Dr. M in Turkey on RealSelf.com and was shocked at how the patient was treated, even in the worst of situations in the U.S. you would not have been treated like this guy was. No one spoke English, Dr. M. was not at all responsive, and instead of his surgery starting at 9:00 AM it started at 3:00 PM. On the day after surgery they squeezed six patients from the hotel into a mid sized sedan for a cleaning and followup visit. And to top it off the doctor did not follow the patients request on his hairline and he is complaining of a bad result. Of course no one is answering his emails.

 

Is it a gamble? All these surgeries are a gamble, but surgery in Turkey is a much larger risk than elsewhere. You want to save money, just remember, you might end up with what you paid for.

[Sean]

If seeking interest in Turkish clinics, i do not think all are just tech only. It is best to email all clinics, in general, and ask about their surgical protocol, the tools they use, the size if punches, the number of grafts a day, who does incisions and extractions, who will be the doctor the day of your surgery, what are their gaurantees, if any. Some of thos Turkish docs end up on forums and become members, and some dont. Some of the docs may not be part of all forums. ive been impressed by the work of carious Turkish docs that have done work manually.

[HairsGone]

I don't think you can exclude all of the Turkish clinics based on negative feedback on some. Erodogan is obviously a master at FUE. if you haven't already you should consider Dr Karadeniz too, he is very hands on and does all of the incisions and extractions himself. I have just had a good experience with him last week.