Why is it considered "bad" to mention a doctor's name if the result may not be ideal?

[Sociallyakward]

The title says it all. I have come across a lot of threads have concerns about weather the result will be good or not. Or if they took a particular issue with the doc or something they did.  They will say things like I don't want to give the name until i speak with the doc or something to that extent.  One thread I remember even said they thought they may get in trouble for mentioning a doctor's name.  If you have proof and documentation of whatever qualms or issues you have then why don't people like to mention the doctor's name?  I've just never been able to understand this.

[Raker]

You should submit the doctors name but also respect that he or she is entitled to put their case forward to provide a balanced version of events for the forum to form their opinion. It’s only fair that we have a level playing field. 

[JayLDD]

10 hours ago, Sociallyakward said:

The title says it all. I have come across a lot of threads have concerns about weather the result will be good or not. Or if they took a particular issue with the doc or something they did.  They will say things like I don't want to give the name until i speak with the doc or something to that extent.  One thread I remember even said they thought they may get in trouble for mentioning a doctor's name.  If you have proof and documentation of whatever qualms or issues you have then why don't people like to mention the doctor's name?  I've just never been able to understand this.

If you don’t put the doctors name you can still get opinions to refer back to them to make a case. You can then explain that if they don’t remedy a bad result you will make everything public and complain about them in every place possible.  You lose this leverage if you make their name public from the outset.

 

That’s the smart version anyway. Some people might just not know the forum rules, be worried they’re misinterpreting something or don’t want to insult the doctor without getting opinions first.

[baldspotbarry]

In my opinion people should talk to the doctor first and get his professional opinion on their specific case. If not happy with the response then get a second professional opinion. Depending upon the answers given by professionals I see no problem posting a doctor's or clinic's name when it comes to a bad result. As a consumer I would much rather know who produced the bad result so I can compare to their good results and make a decision for myself if it was a one off case or see if there is a string of bad results coming from that doctor.

Edited February 3, 2019 by baldspotbarry

[Melvin- Admin]

These boards exist for this very reason. However, we always encourage patients to first reach out to the surgeon for an amicable resolution. I find it particularly unfair to post a negative review and not even notify the surgeon of the dissatisfaction. Now, if the patient has gone to the surgeon and he/she refuses to help them or doesn't agree, then that is a perfect time to come to the forum and post a thread about it. However, the patient should only release the surgeons name if he/she is willing to let the surgeon come on the board and respond publicly. Assuming the surgeon is recommended by the community. It is only fair to let the surgeon respond publicly if you're going to make a public post.

[Baldrick101]

I don't think it is unreasonable at all to post your journey and/or results with doc's name from the beginning. It is important how you frame it. If you title the post "Look at Dr so and so's hack job, what do you think?" Is not the right approach. However, "Dr so and so performed x FUE on me. Please tell me what you think." Is totally acceptable and not leading in any way. Putting up honest pictures without attacking the surgeon and asking people's opinions is fair IMO. Pictures do not lie. Also, you cannot be blamed If people naturally come to an agreement - positive or negative!! Indeed, if people are in agreement that its crappy work, you are then armed with support when you do approach the surgeon to make your case. Of course, it is an open forum and a doctor can reply. I'm not sure hiding the doctors name, with the hope of blackmailing him with exposure all over the net if he doesn't give you what you want is so fair.

[JayLDD]

21 hours ago, Baldrick101 said:

I don't think it is unreasonable at all to post your journey and/or results with doc's name from the beginning. It is important how you frame it. If you title the post "Look at Dr so and so's hack job, what do you think?" Is not the right approach. However, "Dr so and so performed x FUE on me. Please tell me what you think." Is totally acceptable and not leading in any way. Putting up honest pictures without attacking the surgeon and asking people's opinions is fair IMO. Pictures do not lie. Also, you cannot be blamed If people naturally come to an agreement - positive or negative!! Indeed, if people are in agreement that its crappy work, you are then armed with support when you do approach the surgeon to make your case. Of course, it is an open forum and a doctor can reply. I'm not sure hiding the doctors name, with the hope of blackmailing him with exposure all over the net if he doesn't give you what you want is so fair.

You can call it whatever you like, at the end of the day its about accountability in an area where people are spending significant sums of money. If someone posts a result that is 12 months in with zero growth and a surgeon doesn't offer a touchup, refund or anything at all, then the leverage is important and a surgeon ought to be aware their reputation is at stake. The entire point of the forum is accountability, there's nothing unethical about being aware of this when dropping ten grand or more on surgery.

Also strongly agree with Melvin's point in that its also unfair to a surgeon to post a result you're not happy with a name drop with before consulting them, and likely an independent surgeon before doing this. By leaving the name out, you can get a broad variety of opinions from forum goers, along with perhaps another surgeon elsewhere to take back to the surgeon at 12 months if you're still unhappy with the result and are looking for a remedy.  Someone might come in and post a result at five months they're unhappy with  (and I've seen this before) and name drop the surgeon, already leaving a permanent mark that people newly researching transplants might see and instantly be put off by without having any understanding of the way a procedure works or the time it takes for full results.

I'm also not saying at 6 months you should be telling your doctor "if it doesn't turn out ok you're getting shit on all over the internet", but a smart consumer is going to be as fair as possible, wait twelve months, discuss with their doctor at any point if they're ever uncomfortable about their current result, and consult various external opinions before putting the surgeon in a bad light without confirmation. If at that point they're not willing to do anything, it will have been very helpful to have kept available leverage and good relationship with the surgeon prior to that.

[Mick50]

18 minutes ago, JeanLDD said:

You can call it whatever you like, at the end of the day its about accountability in an area where people are spending significant sums of money. If someone posts a result that is 12 months in with zero growth and a surgeon doesn't offer a touchup, refund or anything at all, then the leverage is important and a surgeon ought to be aware their reputation is at stake. The entire point of the forum is accountability, there's nothing unethical about being aware of this when dropping ten grand or more on surgery.

Also strongly agree with Melvin's point in that its also unfair to a surgeon to post a result you're not happy with a name drop with before consulting them, and likely an independent surgeon before doing this. By leaving the name out, you can get a broad variety of opinions from forum goers, along with perhaps another surgeon elsewhere to take back to the surgeon at 12 months if you're still unhappy with the result and are looking for a remedy.  Someone might come in and post a result at five months they're unhappy with  (and I've seen this before) and name drop the surgeon, already leaving a permanent mark that people newly researching transplants might see and instantly be put off by without having any understanding of the way a procedure works or the time it takes for full results.

I'm also not saying at 6 months you should be telling your doctor "if it doesn't turn out ok you're getting shit on all over the internet", but a smart consumer is going to be as fair as possible, wait twelve months, discuss with their doctor at any point if they're ever uncomfortable about their current result, and consult various external opinions before putting the surgeon in a bad light without confirmation. If at that point they're not willing to do anything, it will have been very helpful to have kept available leverage and good relationship with the surgeon prior to that.

I agree with all of the above ,just to say it annoys the hell out of me when a patient  voices their concerns about a result lets say at 6 months and posters demand to know the Doc's name ,the concerned patient has to think of himself first and work out the best way to move forward with clinic to resolve any issues ,of course the best course of action is to speak with the clinic first  but sometimes a patient wants advice on here as well ,  at 12 months if a unhappy patient hasn't been treated correctly by the clinic and has sent photos to them etc, then it is a different matter ,but we have all seen on this site patients being trigger happy way before the final result is apparent  .

[Raker]

10 hours ago, Mick50 said:

I agree with all of the above ,just to say it annoys the hell out of me when a patient  voices their concerns about a result lets say at 6 months and posters demand to know the Doc's name ,the concerned patient has to think of himself first and work out the best way to move forward with clinic to resolve any issues ,of course the best course of action is to speak with the clinic first  but sometimes a patient wants advice on here as well ,  at 12 months if a unhappy patient hasn't been treated correctly by the clinic and has sent photos to them etc, then it is a different matter ,but we have all seen on this site patients being trigger happy way before the final result is apparent  .

We’re all generalising here but the issue could be a strip that resembles a train track that doesn’t need 12 months to figure out it’s unacceptable. 

[Bill - Seemiller]

Members of this community are encouraged to share their experiences good or bad regardless of whether or not the doctors recommend it or not. It is not necessarily bad to mention the doctors name if you have concerns. The differences however, that if you have genuine concerns and wish to discuss them publicly, you have to allow your physician to share their side of the story. This is part of keeping a fair and balanced forum.   In order to do that, you may have to privately identify yourself to your surgeon and provide them with the necessary permission to share other side of the story in writing. This is so clinics can stay in compliance with HIPAA laws.  

 Ultimately, it’s simple. When you share a positive result, you’re not potentially hurting someone’s reputation. But when you share a concern or less than optimal results, a surgeons reputation is on the line. Now, the great thing about this community is that we allow this because physicians are held accountable for their work and results. But on the other hand, it’s not a free-for-all for members to unfairly malign surgeon.   At the end of the day, both surgeons and patients are held accountable for their results and posts.  

Read more by visiting our fair forum policy 

best wishes, 

Bill

 

[Raker]

6 minutes ago, Bill - Managing Publisher said:

Members of this community are encouraged to share their experiences good or bad regardless of whether or not the doctors recommend it or not. It is not necessarily bad to mention the doctors name if you have concerns. The differences however, that if you have genuine concerns and wish to discuss them publicly, you have to allow your physician to share their side of the story. This is part of keeping a fair and balanced forum.   In order to do that, you may have to privately identify yourself to your surgeon and provide them with the necessary permission to share other side of the story in writing. This is so clinics can stay in compliance with HIPAA laws.  

 Ultimately, it’s simple. When you share a positive result, you’re not potentially hurting someone’s reputation. But when you share a concern or less than optimal results, a surgeons reputation is on the line. Now, the great thing about this community is that we allow this because physicians are held accountable for their work and results. But on the other hand, it’s not a free-for-all for members to unfairly malign surgeon.   At the end of the day, both surgeons and patients are held accountable for their results and posts.  

Read more by visiting our fair forum policy 

best wishes, 

Bill

 

Bill, I’ve already mentioned there are two sides to most stories, i’m not suggesting it is a ‘free for all’ but what strikes me is considering a financial plan that would encompass all clients using the recommended surgeons what we are talking about here are the nessecary patients borrowing from friends, family or taking out finance and in my view the medical professional can sometimes ignore the financial ramamfications this can have,  as difficult as it my sound if this website should consider providing a financial plan with certain criteria to protect the client & surgeon  it might tighten the level of control. Just a  thought. 

[Mick50]

12 hours ago, Raker said:

We’re all generalising here but the issue could be a strip that resembles a train track that doesn’t need 12 months to figure out it’s unacceptable. 

Of course and unfortunately  you do get cases where a patient has been botched and no need to wait 12 months to see the final result  ,but there has been a lot of cases recently where guys are freaking out at 5 months and seem to have know idea of the time line where growth is concerned, and unfortunately some guys just put simply have unrealistic expectations ,this is where the clinics are at fault in my opinion  by just showing their home runs ,the average guy ,well, will get an average result which in most cases is an improvement from where they started .   I personally would not have bothered with a transplant if my hair -loss remained at a NW 3-4 ,it's only when in my mid -forties that the full horse -shoe  shape developed and I was a nw 5-6  that I thought enough is enough . Getting back on topic there is n nothing wrong with a patient naming a clinic just better to have contacted the Doc first with his/her concerns  I just think a patient has to box clever if he is unhappy with a result and not come out all guns blazing ,and of course as Bill says the clinic have to be given a chance to reply and give their side of the story .

Edited February 5, 2019 by Mick50

[Raker]

5 hours ago, Mick50 said:

Of course and unfortunately  you do get cases where a patient has been botched and no need to wait 12 months to see the final result  ,but there has been a lot of cases recently where guys are freaking out at 5 months and seem to have know idea of the time line where growth is concerned, and unfortunately some guys just put simply have unrealistic expectations ,this is where the clinics are at fault in my opinion  by just showing their home runs ,the average guy ,well, will get an average result which in most cases is an improvement from where they started .   I personally would not have bothered with a transplant if my hair -loss remained at a NW 3-4 ,it's only when in my mid -forties that the full horse -shoe  shape developed and I was a nw 5-6  that I thought enough is enough . Getting back on topic there is n nothing wrong with a patient naming a clinic just better to have contacted the Doc first with his/her concerns  I just think a patient has to box clever if he is unhappy with a result and not come out all guns blazing ,and of course as Bill says the clinic have to be given a chance to reply and give their side of the story .

Ive already stated there are two side to a story the patient & the doctor, misinterpretation & expectations has a lot to answer for I absolutely agree however, the 5 month panicers you refer to will never change no matter how many threads we cover, take out this & the anti ASMED brigade who claim they were lead to believe it’s not tech driven we’d be lost for debate. 

[Shampoo]

5 hours ago, Mick50 said:

Of course and unfortunately  you do get cases where a patient has been botched and no need to wait 12 months to see the final result  ,but there has been a lot of cases recently where guys are freaking out at 5 months and seem to have know idea of the time line where growth is concerned, and unfortunately some guys just put simply have unrealistic expectations

It not quite as easy and obvious as it seems.

Of course we need feedback from patients on the doctors and to hear the name of repeat poor result doctors or doctors that don't respond well to patient concerns/complaints, but I suppose it's a difficult balance for this website to decide what is a realistic complaint without actually seeing and interviewing the patient in person.

My company has been "victimized" on Yelp by a terrible review by a mis-informed and/or lying anonymous person that was not even a client of my company. I contacted Yelp and they basically said I could respond, but they would not take down the extremely negative imo slanderous factually incorrect anonymous complaint. There is a doctor I know that told me he has one former patient whose life mission appears to be to ridicule and make horrible reviews of the doctor on various websites.

#1. We've got guys on here with body dysmorphic disorder in freak-out mode a week after surgery and many others in freak-out mode after 3-6 months....when results are not known for 12 months. The world today is instant....instant news, instant food at drive thru or via GrubHub, instant Amazon delivery, instant info and responses on mobile devices.....so expectations of instant results are much higher than ever before.  People dont realize it takes years and even decades to go bald, but they still fool themselves into believing "this transplant should look much better after 3 months". Yes the doctors are party at fault by not recognizing these problem patients during consults and weeding them out, but in reality it is many times hard to recognize unrealistic expectation patients.

#2. Poor results can happen for a variety of reasons even with a top notch surgeon. Almost every type of surgery has a few bad results. Of course human nature being what it is the bad results tend to get sensationalized which leads to a generalization that "this particuar surgeon sucks". The surgeon could have 100 great surgeries and 1 bad result and of course the guy with the bad result thinks the surgeon sucks and wants to tell the world.

#3. Surgeons pay to be on this site. It is part of the reason this site exists and is free for patients. So if a surgeon has a rare bad result or even is accused of a bad result that gets sensationalized why would the surgeon even mess with paying to be on here? If the surgeons go away...this site may go away?

All I am saying is there is a fine line...between what is actually a "bad result" and an unrealistic angry patient claiming a "bad result"....this site has to be careful about allowing patients to trash doctors without posting multiple before and after pictures and without credible facts. This site "is what it is" and like all sites isn't perfect, but a great place to learn about hair transplants.
 

[baldspotbarry]

On 2/5/2019 at 1:25 PM, Shampoo said:

this site has to be careful about allowing patients to trash doctors without posting multiple before and after pictures and without credible facts. 
 

IMHO, if a complaint isn't backed up by multiple before and after pictures then it's not really credible. 

[VicTNYC]

@Sociallyakward 

I noticed in your profile that you answered “Yes” to the ‘Have you ever had a hair transplant’ question. 

Who was your surgeon/clinic?

What type of procedure?

Are you satisfied with your Ht?

Edited February 19, 2019 by VicTNYC