My review of Dr Wong from Hasson and Wong.

[Guest wanthairs]

I am actually very optimistic about the up and coming transofrmation Drew is going to have. He appears to have fairly thick donor hair and hopefully will do as much scalp excersises as possible.

 

It wont surprise me if in a few years with a few surgeries with Dr. Wong we see a knockout difference.

[thanatopsis_awry]

The 800pound gorilla in the forum is that Drew understands all of the "detracting" points of view as far as I can tell; it seems he simply disagrees, as a matter of personal choice.

 

Yes, there are risks in getting a HT....there are also risks in inaction and *not* getting a HT...usually, the latter is a much more sure-thing, too...

 

Perhaps, Drew is willing to accept the long-term potentiality of a doomsday scenario because the doomsday to him is the **very present**?

 

Drew isn't going to get 20k BHT or 5k packed into his hairline by Armani (etc.)...this is much more a matter of personal preference and tolerance for risk, and it isn't an outrageously defined line.

 

He's been informed and seen dissent, and it's good that he has.

[Dewayne]

Maybe everyone's laid-off from their jobs?

 

This is all getting a little boring, in my opinion, and I hope it gets back to helping people sort through their options.

 

I didn't go to Dr. Wong, but the proofs in the pudding. And, people who have a great experience with a particular doctor often beat their drum - it's human nature.

 

I've only spoken to Dr. Cooley once since my surgery, but he left quite an impression on me so yea I've spoken highly of him. I look and feel a hell of a lot better now than a year ago mostly because of this forum, and I appreciate it.

 

There was some bullshit on here back in Jan. '08 when I was looking, and there is some now; but you newer posters need to sort through that as well.

[imissthebarber]

Drew - I wish you all the best for your surgery with Dr Wong. My two cents is make sure you raise these questions with Dr Wong, there's nothing to lose right? It may help to finesse your long-term strategy.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

This is all getting a little boring, in my opinion, and I hope it gets back to helping people sort through their options.

 

It might be to you but all of this BS you refer to is because people have different opinions and it has led to some BS.

It seems like there are two sides trying to help guys sort through their options. Thats a good thing.

There are alot of guys that probably have wished they didnt just read the " go ahead your in great hands " posts

Bill has did a great job in removing the BS yesterday but I suppose we can get NGTGB back so he can make you laugh.

Yes Im worried about Drew as Im am about anyone else .

His case is just more worrisome because of the extensive baldness.

The good thing is it looks like he has decent donor and is going to a clinic who is willing to push the envelope and try hard to get him to his final destination.

To just say your in good hands to me is doing him and this site a disservice

H@W have probably read this thread 50 times and I can promise you they will take "extra" care of Drew because of all of this.

Not saying they wouldnt have anyway but this almost guarantees a flawless experience.

I would love to know my clinic is being watched very closely with regards to my experience from the beginning to the end

I have decided to keep my posts respectful even if a select few try to get me to bite the bait but I cant ignore the facts no matter who gets mad.

[thanatopsis_awry]

100% co-sign. Arguments -- even very lively ones -- have a very appropriate place; the problem is when the arguments spawn so much *personal* insulting that it begins to detract from the very debate taking place and the *truth* that gets exposed through the debate begins to go into hiding. Bill indeed has done an excellent job while threading a fine line (though I think what LMS said before may have been taken more harsh than LMS sincerely intended it to be).

 

I see what Dewayne is saying, except Drew hasn't yet gone to Wong and hasn't yet gotten a result to beat his chest over, let alone had the result long enough to truly speak with un-tamable confidence like he has. In that respect, I think it's very good that his viewpoint was opposed, even opposed strongly. Even if he ultimately disagrees with the opposition -- and he has -- he is all the better for it, and going forward his decision will be all the more informed and he'll live with it for better or worse.

[hopefull]

Drew one last thing because this thing is getting tiring for me and if you want to take it in consideration take it if not through it in the bin.

 

If propecia gives you sideefects and you have to stop it then according to your family history you will most propably end up nw7. that means that if your strip goes with in the nw7 area, at the sides, it will become obvious one day and your donor will thin eventaully so will your transplanted hair.

 

be very carefull and make sure that you can handle propecia because it will be the most important factor in the success of the transplant .your doctor is one of the best for patients with advanced hairloss but if your donor betrays you then noone will be able to save the result and trust me there is no strategic planning or whatever for someone that ends up nw7.

 

there is always future risks but at least minimize the risks now by at least giving a shot at propecia for a year to see that everything is well.

 

Peace

 

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by PLEASE GROW PLEASE:

This is all getting a little boring, in my opinion, and I hope it gets back to helping people sort through their options.

 

It might be to you but all of this BS you refer to is because people have different opinions and it has led to some BS.

It seems like there are two sides trying to help guys sort through their options. Thats a good thing.

There are alot of guys that probably have wished they didnt just read the " go ahead your in great hands " posts

Bill has did a great job in removing the BS yesterday but I suppose we can get NGTGB back so he can make you laugh.

Yes Im worried about Drew as Im am about anyone else .

His case is just more worrisome because of the extensive baldness.

The good thing is it looks like he has decent donor and is going to a clinic who is willing to push the envelope and try hard to get him to his final destination.

To just say your in good hands to me is doing him and this site a disservice

H@W have probably read this thread 50 times and I can promise you they will take "extra" care of Drew because of all of this.

Not saying they wouldnt have anyway but this almost guarantees a flawless experience.

I would love to know my clinic is being watched very closely with regards to my experience from the beginning to the end

I have decided to keep my posts respectful even if a select few try to get me to bite the bait but I cant ignore the facts no matter who gets mad.

 

I can't see your posts.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Grow up Dewayne . Your better then that

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by PLEASE GROW PLEASE:

Grow up Dewayne . Your better then that

 

I thought that was pretty funny......

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

me 2

[Bill - Seemiller]

Qbert67,

 

Are you speaking on behalf of Dr. Wong? Though what you say is very sound, I'm a little confused as to why you are signing off "J Wong MD".

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[thanatopsis_awry]

I agree. It's very sound reasoning, and I can't imagine it isn't Dr. Wong himself...? Besides the "J Wond MD" signature the entire post sounds verbatum like it is Dr. Wong himself speaking/typing...

[Dr. Jerry Wong]

Hopeful you've raise a very valid concern, one that strikes terror in every transplanter's heart. What if someone cannot tolerate finasteride and loses to a NW7. The 2 issues here is will the transplanted area look odd and what if the donor scar is exposed. Certainly in the past the larger minigrafts will look obvious unless there are sufficint smaller grafts to soften and blend them in. I don't think FUT will have the same problem even if the transplants thins over time since the grafts we use today usually contain no more than 4 hairs and the majority of the grafts are 2 hairs. I'm not too concern about scar exposure. Even if it were to happen the number of grafts required to cover a scar is relatively small. The biggest concern is the gap between the transplanted hair and the receeded hair margin. Even if the margin drops but the remaining density in the donor band is good there are usually suffficient hair left to bridge the gap.

If we design a conservative hairline for Drew 3 things need to happen before we run into the problem of donor depletion. 1.Failed medication of both fin and dust.

2. A drop all the way down to low NW7. 3. A drastic thinning out of the remaining donor hair band hair. It is possible but highly unlikely that all 3 conditions will happen.

Initially if the hairline is kept conservative and we hold off doing the crown until we are sure that finasteride is well tolerated and that there are some improvemet in the crown area with the medication then we are not likely to run into problems.

J Wong MD

[Dr. Jerry Wong]

Excuse the mixup. Qbert used my computer to upload his photos from today and forgot to log out.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Dr. Wong,

 

Thanks for the clarification. I actually almost did the same thing on Dr. Hasson's computer when I was there for surgery. Otherwise, Dr. Hasson would get to play Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network for the day :-).

 

Bill

[Drew35]

Originally posted by hopefull:

Drew one last thing because this thing is getting tiring for me and if you want to take it in consideration take it if not through it in the bin.

 

If propecia gives you sideefects and you have to stop it then according to your family history you will most propably end up nw7. that means that if your strip goes with in the nw7 area, at the sides, it will become obvious one day and your donor will thin eventaully so will your transplanted hair.

 

be very carefull and make sure that you can handle propecia because it will be the most important factor in the success of the transplant .your doctor is one of the best for patients with advanced hairloss but if your donor betrays you then noone will be able to save the result and trust me there is no strategic planning or whatever for someone that ends up nw7.

 

there is always future risks but at least minimize the risks now by at least giving a shot at propecia for a year to see that everything is well.

 

Peace

 

 

 

Thanks for your concern hopefull.

 

 

11 years ago I started taking propecia in preparation for a hair transplant with Bosley.

 

I took the Propecia for 1 year and had zero side effects. I actually gained a little density, also.

 

I was a Norwood 4 at that time. When I looked at the results of Bosley patients I just wasn't impressed and my hope was lost.

 

 

I quit taking the Propecia, quite using rogaine, shaved my head, and have been wearing a hat everyday for the last 11 years.

 

I tolerate and respond to Propecia great!

 

I am 99% certain I will be able to keep the hair I currently have and hopefully gain a little density in the bottom of my crown and sides.

 

 

 

What's the "worst case scenario" when you are already there? Continue to wear a baseball cap?

 

That's what I do everyday of my life now!

 

I am a successful business owner, but still have no confidence, and I am miserable being bald.

 

I HATE being bald and I am mentally prepared for this journey.

 

 

I believe Dr Wong is my best chance of achieving the largest amount of grafts in my first session.

 

 

I am also using a low back massager that fits perfectly on the back of my head. I am using that to "kneed" my donor area and it has already made a significant difference!

 

I think I will have great laxity when it comes to my donor.

 

 

I have researched Dr Wong's work and I believe I am in the best hands for this huge life changing step.

 

 

Thank God for hair sites like this, because 11 years ago I thought Bosley was my only option.

[hopefull]

I wish you the best my friend and everything to go well for you and to be happy as you deserve to be.

 

Now when you go for surgery i am waiting from you to read one of these looooong posts about your surgery day and how it all went

 

 

Make sure you read the famous Spex post about what to do before the surgery day and all the right preparations for a smooth experience.

 

best wishes

[Drew35]

Originally posted by hopefull:

I wish you the best my friend and everything to go well for you and to be happy as you deserve to be.

 

Now when you go for surgery i am waiting from you to read one of these looooong posts about your surgery day and how it all went

 

 

Make sure you read the famous Spex post about what to do before the surgery day and all the right preparations for a smooth experience.

 

best wishes

 

I'll do my best.

 

 

And I'll check out Spex's thread. Thanks!

[Marvin]

Good luck, Drew. You guys who do these procedures with higher levels of loss are a big inspiration.

[wantego]

Drew I wish you and Dr. Wong the best of luck with your HT. You obviously know this is a big job as far as HTs go. I think your HT case can answer a lot of questions for many future patients who are nw6 or nw7. Please keep us informed with pictures if you can. Thanks in advance and good luck!

[Take a chance]

Drew,

Being in a similar situation, I know what you are going through. I'm an nw6 and had my first HT 7 weeks ago. I was able to get over 4000 grafts. I had a lengthy discussion with my HT doc and decided on a conservative hairline as I had a lot of area to cover.

My hairline has small peaks here and there to break the monotony of the bell shape. I was told in my case a straight hair line will use large quantity of grafts to fill the temple,and will not be enough to go to mid scalp as we did. Therefore I left my temples alone.

Secondly, out of the entire 209 square cm of measured bald area, the plan was to transplant 4000 grafts in 114 sq cm approximately. I was lucky enough to get 4337 grafts( 8027 hairs)an average density of 38%.

Unfortunately I did not respond well to proscar and have stopped taking it. I fear that I may progress to an NW7 also. However, the thought of doing nothing about my hair loss was a far worse feeling... I know that I'm prepared for any type of complication down the track. I am mentally prepared for anything.

I really don't know what the future holds and not sure what my result will look like. Either way, I am very happy that I finally took the plunge and had the surgery. The way I look at is I cant be any worse off than I was bald. I can already see hair growing in and its a great feeling. It makes me happy. My crown is still bald and I will re assess my results after my HT fills in.

Just remember you always have options available down the track. Don't let negative people put doubt in your mind. Most of them are shit scared about having a HT so instead start bringing up negative comments and you start to doubt yourself. I'm sure you have done your research and are aware of possible risks. Dr Wong has handled many difficult cases with great success. He knows a lot more than most people that love to put in their 2 cents but know very little about anything. Just make sure to write down all your questions and make sure you're comfortable with everything. Also do heaps of scalp exercises, I cant say how much they helped me.

Good luck with everything. You are in excellent hands and you wont regret it.

[biscuit]

Originally posted by Drew35:

 

My long term goals are full coverage.

 

 

 

Drew, you are in great hands with Dr Wong. I was very impressed with his skills, staff and facility.

 

But you've got a lot of real estate to cover and the very real possibility that you'll lose more hair in back.

 

I believe your goal of "full coverage" is not possible to achieve, so be careful with that.

 

I recommend starting out with a very conservative hairline.

 

Have you tried shaving your head completely? It looks to me like the shape of your head is very good.

 

Best of luck.

[biscuit]

As an example, I think Dr Wayne Dyer looks better completely shaved than when he had some hair in back.

 

 

http://www.awakening-healing.c...ayne_Dyer(Small).jpg

[Drew35]

Originally posted by biscuit:

Originally posted by Drew35:

 

My long term goals are full coverage.

 

 

 

Drew, you are in great hands with Dr Wong. I was very impressed with his skills, staff and facility.

 

But you've got a lot of real estate to cover and the very real possibility that you'll lose more hair in back.

 

I believe your goal of "full coverage" is not possible to achieve, so be careful with that.

 

I recommend starting out with a very conservative hairline.

 

Have you tried shaving your head completely? It looks to me like the shape of your head is very good.

 

Best of luck.

 

 

I hate shaving my head.

 

 

Depending on my donor laxity we will see how it goes the day of surgery.

 

Dr Wong and I will decide 100% the day of surgery.