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How to get over the fear of surgery?


gemini

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I have a fear of needles, blood, and holes and I’m very squeamish watching the HT surgery videos. This is why I’ve been putting off surgery for so long.
 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to get a HT but has a fear of surgery?

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29 minutes ago, transplantedphil said:

This might not be the answer you were expecting ... but I would try and use that fear to motivate your research.

Don't just look at the before and after results of docs, but look specifically at their immediate post-op work; see how respectful they are towards the donor and recipient areas, how clean their work is, and read about how their patients found the recovery process.

You'll never change the fact this is surgery and there are risks, but you can gain a sense of control by picking the right doctor and knowing exactly what to expect from them.

EDIT: and yes @duchaine the valium helps lol

Never took any mental drug in my life. Anyway I was scared to get an anafilattic shock/panic attach during my surgery. So I brought some CORTISONE AND XANAX with me. I didn't take it but I felt relaxed just to know that I had it with me.

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hi Gemini, I just had my 3000 graft FUE surgery about 1 month ago. and I can tell you that going to the dentist to have your wisdom teeth removed is much worse.

it is quite superficial, and if you go for FUE you won't even need stiches.

Fear is irrational, but you should of course have concerns and express them to your surgeon.

Pick a surgeon with good reputation and be aware of all the risks.

You should also of course reflect if you really want this and how important this is to you, I had plenty of doubts even after sending in my deposit.

Now that its done, I dont regret it even if the results will be disappointing. I didnt hide it from anyone and even got some nasty comments about it, it bounced off straight away because I am so glad I did it. Im happy I went through with it and did something about the hairloss that has been bothering me everyday for many years.

If your fears are mainly of physical nature, think that going to the dentist can be much more traumatic

 

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They give you a drug to calm you down which feels great. And everything is numbed so you barely feel anything. The position I was sat in I never saw a needle or any blood or equipment. It's a case of lying back, relaxing and let them do their work. I found the whole thing much easier than expected.  

 

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You won't be seeing needles, blood, or holes. Also, benzodiazepines are very helpful in calming patients down.

My advice does not constitute a patient-physician relationship nor as medical advice and all medical questions/concerns should be addressed to your medical provider. 

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there is nothing to fear but fear itself - pain is less than going to dentist's office for a general cleaning! and the drugs you get before procedure starts literally knocks you out - I was asleep probably 3/4 of the time. you're taking a leap of faith, but if you select a reputable surgeon, the entire staff will be making sure you're comfortable throughout the procedure

 

Edited by home1212
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I just had my FUE 8 days ago. I had an anxiety attack when I was getting anesthetics injected. I normally faint from basic blood work needles. Told the nurses to stop for a moment, they took my blood pressure, elevated my legs, 5 minutes later I was feeling normal again and right after xanax kicked in, slept for 5 hours.

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Honestly, the operation itself is a piece of cake compared with the following ugly duckling phase and mental challenges associated with it. Thats the real challenge, waiting nervously for growth to take off whilst looking... well lets say not that good. I wish you the best to overcome your fear.

In honesty once youre past the initial anaesthetic injections the rest is painless.... recovery is also not that bad. My opinion is in regards to FUE procedure and reflect my experience thus far.

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On 1/26/2020 at 2:06 AM, Blackweasel said:

Honestly, the operation itself is a piece of cake compared with the following ugly duckling phase and mental challenges associated with it. Thats the real challenge, waiting nervously for growth to take off whilst looking... well lets say not that good. I wish you the best to overcome your fear.

In honesty once youre past the initial anaesthetic injections the rest is painless.... recovery is also not that bad. My opinion is in regards to FUE procedure and reflect my experience thus far.

the recovery is mainly what scares me the most. i think i could get 2 weeks off, and then maybe work from home the 3rd week, but i’d just be so afraid of looking ridiculous when going to the office where I can’t wear a hat

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12 hours ago, hairlossPA said:

the recovery is mainly what scares me the most. i think i could get 2 weeks off, and then maybe work from home the 3rd week, but i’d just be so afraid of looking ridiculous when going to the office where I can’t wear a hat

It depends how many grafts you get and if you go FUE or FUT. The recovery is very hard, harder than I thought. It plays with your head and your constantly looking in the mirror. 

I was wearing a hat after 2 weeks.

I was on the plane for 28 hours with a hat from Turkey back to Melbourne. It was hard but I did it. If you can get more off time do it, the more the better. Transplant area will be red for months, donor should heal quick but was uncomfortable for me, kept using aloe vera gel from dr cinik. 

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On 1/16/2020 at 11:19 PM, gemini said:

I have a fear of needles, blood, and holes and I’m very squeamish watching the HT surgery videos. This is why I’ve been putting off surgery for so long.
 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to get a HT but has a fear of surgery?

Hi. I used to be scared of needles. And pain. And surgery. And being a patient. 
 

Visualizing how the surgery is going to be, can cause anxiety for many. For others like myself, visually experiencing the suegery before hand meant no surprise on the vig day. The first surg I ever had was an FUT. I knew what I was signing up for. 

In the hands of an experienced surgeon, why would you have anything to fear?he knows what he is doing. As for pain, during her procedure pain is non existent. And I had an FUT

As for recovery it depends entirely on you. If you follow the post op and master the art of patience, recovery should be a breeze. I am post op 10 days. I had no pain. Minimal swelling. 

i am on my way back to work. Life’s good. I am figuring out how to hide my grafted hairs kinda looks partially shaved. Prolly need a shave or buzz cut now ahhaa! But I was instructed to wait 6 weeks

FYI I was given alpraxolam that really took the edge off for3 hours. Slept like a baby when they were planting  

good luck! 

Edited by tressless_doc
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21 hours ago, hairlossPA said:

the recovery is mainly what scares me the most. i think i could get 2 weeks off, and then maybe work from home the 3rd week, but i’d just be so afraid of looking ridiculous when going to the office where I can’t wear a hat

cut your really short before the procedure and go to work that way so there is no "surprise" after the procedure and people get used to your new look - believe me, you're more subconscious of how your hair looks than people really care - they may look up at your head and stare once or twice and wonder what you did, but then that's it, they're not constantly thinking of you, people have their own lives and problems to think about - once you figure that out - you realize there is nothing to be worried about. and 3 weeks after your procedure, you'll be pretty healed up, your native hair will have started growing back and you will look fine

Edited by home1212
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On 1/27/2020 at 5:58 PM, hairlossPA said:

the recovery is mainly what scares me the most. i think i could get 2 weeks off, and then maybe work from home the 3rd week, but i’d just be so afraid of looking ridiculous when going to the office where I can’t wear a hat

I was in the same situation in the weeks leading up to my HT. I work in a brightly lit office and am very friendly with a lot of the other guys in the office. Too friendly perhaps as we constantly slag each other.

My main fear was how would I hide it from everyone and I was generally worried about the potential slagging I would get.

Well I’m 4 weeks post-op today and not one person has noticed that I did anything other than shave my head. When I look in the mirror I think it is obvious but to other people it is not.

I got it done on a Thursday, took the Friday off work, and worked from home the following week. Was back in the office on day 10 and it was fine.

I got 4550 grafts too so it was quite a lot.

Hope this helps ease your concerns! 

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39 minutes ago, home1212 said:

why would having a short haircut cause any problem with the hairline design? 

 HT is needed to fix a problem. With a short haircut, the doc can't understand how your hairs "dress" your head and you...yes, you...believe me, when you have short hair cut, are unable to see which hairline fits better your taste.

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18 minutes ago, duchaine said:

 HT is needed to fix a problem. With a short haircut, the doc can't understand how your hairs "dress" your head and you...yes, you...believe me, when you have short hair cut, are unable to see which hairline fits better your taste.

that's what consultation photos are for

Edited by home1212
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