Will the famous surgeon do your transplant or one of his associates?

[Pangloss]

I have noticed that there are a few doctors who have developed a reputation on these transplant websites as being among the very best. But I have also noticed that when you contact these doctors’ clinics, your questions are answered by a different doctor, or perhaps just a technician or salesperson whose job it is to answer internet inquiries.

I have seen price lists on a few doctors’ websites and apparently it is a lot more expensive to have your transplant done by the famous doctor, and less money to use one of their “associates” at the clinic. Is that correct?

So what do you get if your surgery is performed at a big name doctor’s clinic like Dr. A’s or Eugenix, but not by the famous doctor, rather by a different doctor?

Will the surgery be of the same high caliber? Is the associate a person who has been carefully trained by the famous doctor and so is just as skilled? Or maybe some mediocre doctor that the famous doctor hired to work on the cheap?

[paddyirishman]

@Pangloss all of the above are all great questions.  The most important aspect of considering to proceed with a HT is to carry out extensive research.  You should eventually come up with a short list of clinics and doctors. Eventually you will be looking at a few doctors and their patients results in more detail. Then most importantantly you should seek out that particular doctor when you contact the clinic.  It's fine to have a conversation with a clinic rep initially to get many questions answered. You can ask plenty of questions about the doctors that perform surgery. Doctors experience and skill set will vary greatly. It's up to you to do your research on past patients results and find out about the doctors experience . Many top clinics have more than 1 top doctor, even 3 or 4. Many doctors work together during surgery, and that's fine as well. It's all about research and finding out about different  doctors and what they do , and asking plenty of questions. 

You spoke about Eugenix and the different doctors there. I know from first hand experience that all the doctors are highly skilled as I had my own very successful Hairtransplant  at Eugenix.  I'm really happy with my results to date . To help you research and answer your questions further I have shared the link here and you can see what doctor carried out each task of the surgery. 

All the best,

Paddy.

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/55634-experience-of-an-irishman-after-6-years-researching-puts-his-trust-in-dr-pradeep-sethi-and-drarika-bansal-eugenix-india-for-hair-transplantation-of-a-combination-of-scalp-and-beard-hair/

[LaserCap]

18 hours ago, Pangloss said:

I have noticed that there are a few doctors who have developed a reputation on these transplant websites as being among the very best. But I have also noticed that when you contact these doctors’ clinics, your questions are answered by a different doctor, or perhaps just a technician or salesperson whose job it is to answer internet inquiries.

I have seen price lists on a few doctors’ websites and apparently it is a lot more expensive to have your transplant done by the famous doctor, and less money to use one of their “associates” at the clinic. Is that correct?

So what do you get if your surgery is performed at a big name doctor’s clinic like Dr. A’s or Eugenix, but not by the famous doctor, rather by a different doctor?

Will the surgery be of the same high caliber? Is the associate a person who has been carefully trained by the famous doctor and so is just as skilled? Or maybe some mediocre doctor that the famous doctor hired to work on the cheap?

Experience and quality of work dictate. It's always about results after all.  So review photos until you find cases similar to your own - and you like the results.

There are small clinics out there with great doctors.  The doctor will do the consultations as well as the surgical work.  In others, typically larger groups, the doctors are in charge of the surgical part of the procedure while the consultant does the consultations and takes care of some administrative duties.  The difference is typically money.  If the doctor can be doing surgery all the time and not "waste" valuable time in consultation, he can do more procedures. Mind you, this has nothing to do with how talented the doctor is.

With regards to what a doctor charges...if more famous - find out why he is famous.  Is that worth more money? If it gives you peace of mind, that the work is going to be impeccable, is that worth a few dollars more? And, if the associate charges less, it is perhaps because he's been doing this type of work for a lot less time. One thing to remember here is the fact the doctor with the less experience is still under the umbrella of the other doctor.  In other words, regardless of who does the work, it is still the same clinic.  So, both are responsible.  I am certain both doctors would feel the same and, during the procedure, it is likely both would collaborate during the intervention.

When a doctor is hired, he'll be trained before he lays a hand on any patient.  Or at least we hope.

If it was me? I would pay more and get the doctor with experience.  Saving a few bucks can only lead to disaster when you consider you have to live with the "mistake" - whatever that is - for the rest of your life.

It is easy for many to say - do the research.  For someone with little to no experience, what exactly does that mean?  While this industry is not regulated, there are groups that try to help.  The ISHRS is one of them.  Certain requirements need to be met before anyone can join.  Go from there.  You can also take a look at the doctors listed on this site.  I'll bet many, if not all, attend ISHRS conventions. 

[Pangloss]

On 5/23/2020 at 7:55 PM, paddyirishman said:

@Pangloss all of the above are all great questions.  The most important aspect of considering to proceed with a HT is to carry out extensive research.  You should eventually come up with a short list of clinics and doctors. Eventually you will be looking at a few doctors and their patients results in more detail. Then most importantantly you should seek out that particular doctor when you contact the clinic.  It's fine to have a conversation with a clinic rep initially to get many questions answered. You can ask plenty of questions about the doctors that perform surgery. Doctors experience and skill set will vary greatly. It's up to you to do your research on past patients results and find out about the doctors experience . Many top clinics have more than 1 top doctor, even 3 or 4. Many doctors work together during surgery, and that's fine as well. It's all about research and finding out about different  doctors and what they do , and asking plenty of questions. 

You spoke about Eugenix and the different doctors there. I know from first hand experience that all the doctors are highly skilled as I had my own very successful Hairtransplant  at Eugenix.  I'm really happy with my results to date . To help you research and answer your questions further I have shared the link here and you can see what doctor carried out each task of the surgery. 

All the best,

Paddy.

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/55634-experience-of-an-irishman-after-6-years-researching-puts-his-trust-in-dr-pradeep-sethi-and-drarika-bansal-eugenix-india-for-hair-transplantation-of-a-combination-of-scalp-and-beard-hair/

Thanks for the reply Paddy. Well, but this illustrates my point. Your surgery was done by Drs. Bansal and Sethi, who are the well-known and highly regarded HT doctors. And the anesthetic was injected by their associate doctor.  I think I saw a page on their website where it said that the price for Sethi and Bansal is higher than the price for their associates. Don't have time to look for it just now...

Is it usual that more than one surgeon works on you?

I agree it's better to pay more for the best doctors. But I am just wondering what you can expect if you use their cheaper associates. Do the cheaper doctors live up to the clinic's reputation for excellence? Or maybe not.

[Melvin- Admin]

On 5/24/2020 at 5:03 PM, Pangloss said:

Thanks for the reply Paddy. Well, but this illustrates my point. Your surgery was done by Drs. Bansal and Sethi, who are the well-known and highly regarded HT doctors. And the anesthetic was injected by their associate doctor.  I think I saw a page on their website where it said that the price for Sethi and Bansal is higher than the price for their associates. Don't have time to look for it just now...

Is it usual that more than one surgeon works on you?

I agree it's better to pay more for the best doctors. But I am just wondering what you can expect if you use their cheaper associates. Do the cheaper doctors live up to the clinic's reputation for excellence? Or maybe not.

Well, the physicians are being trained by the main physicians, now it’s entirely up to you to choose the cheaper option. I think having this option is actually good. Every surgeon started somewhere, and even in the best hospitals in the world there are resident physicians. That said, I would personally opt for the highest tier with the top surgeons involvement. You can expect high quality with the lower option, since it’s still overseen by the leading surgeons, but me personally, I want the leading docs workout on me.

[Pangloss]

On 5/27/2020 at 12:17 AM, Melvin-Moderator said:

Well, the physicians are being trained by the main physicians, now it’s entirely up to you to choose the cheaper option. I think having this option is actually good. Every surgeon started somewhere, and even in the best hospitals in the world there are resident physicians. That said, I would personally opt for the highest tier with the top surgeons involvement. You can expect high quality with the lower option, since it’s still overseen by the leading surgeons, but me personally, I want the leading docs workout on me.

In the case of a clinic like Eugenix, they apparently have four different clinics in different cities. It is doubtful that a surgery performed at the Mumbai clinic would be overseen by the top doctors Sethi and Bansal, since they are far away in the Gurgaon clinic. If I were to choose Eugenix, I would certainly go to the Gurgaon clinic.

[paddyirishman]

I had my surgery at the Gurgaon clinic. The other 2 Doctors there were Dr.Shishir and Dr.Alok. Yes that's right Dr.Shishir was involved also in my surgery. Yes  It is usual for another Doctor to be involved also. 

They would be following the same protocols Dr.Arika and Dr.Pradeep put in place for their clinic. They play huge roles in many if not all of HTs done at Eugenix . You can ask the clinic all about the doctors experience and they will tell you. You seem to have your mind up you would be choosing Dr.Pradeep or Arika so you will be in great hands either way.

Paddy

[experion]

If I select Euginex clinic, I will be doing the surgery in their Gurgaon facility...although Mumbai would be convenient for me. 

As an engineer myself, I know how important technicians are and I cannot do many jobs in my field better than my technicians. Are the technicians in Mumbai or other centers same level to Gurgaon? I highly doubt it.

Also, their Premium package and Comprehensive package has confused the hell out of me and I do not see any difference except the double price. This is one of the reason I am holding back in selecting Euginex for my HT.

 

1. Premium Package

 

Cost of Rs. 210/graft*:

• Planning, designing and 100% slits are done by Dr Pradeep Sethi or Dr Arika Bansal.
• Complete involvement includes below;
  Designing the hairline,
  Crucial parts of extraction,
  Hairline implantation,
  Supervision of graft placement assisted by our expertly trained and experienced senior technicians.

 

2. Comprehensive and Exclusive Package

 

Cost of Rs. 120/graft*:

• Planning, designing and 100% slits are done by Dr Arika Bansal.
• Complete involvement includes below;
• Designing the hairline.
• Crucial parts of extraction.
• Supervision of implantation steps
• Crucial steps of implantation
• Supervision of graft placement assisted by our expertly trained and experienced senior technicians.

Edited May 29, 2020 by experion

[Abhinay Singh]

On 5/29/2020 at 1:38 PM, experion said:

If I select Euginex clinic, I will be doing the surgery in their Gurgaon facility...although Mumbai would be convenient for me. 

As an engineer myself, I know how important technicians are and I cannot do many jobs in my field better than my technicians. Are the technicians in Mumbai or other centers same level to Gurgaon? I highly doubt it.

Also, their Premium package and Comprehensive package has confused the hell out of me and I do not see any difference except the double price. This is one of the reason I am holding back in selecting Euginex for my HT.

 

1. Premium Package

 

Cost of Rs. 210/graft*:

• Planning, designing and 100% slits are done by Dr Pradeep Sethi or Dr Arika Bansal.
• Complete involvement includes below;
  Designing the hairline,
  Crucial parts of extraction,
  Hairline implantation,
  Supervision of graft placement assisted by our expertly trained and experienced senior technicians.

 

2. Comprehensive and Exclusive Package

 

Cost of Rs. 120/graft*:

• Planning, designing and 100% slits are done by Dr Arika Bansal.
• Complete involvement includes below;
• Designing the hairline.
• Crucial parts of extraction.
• Supervision of implantation steps
• Crucial steps of implantation
• Supervision of graft placement assisted by our expertly trained and experienced senior technicians.

Sir, in Premium package Hairline implantation will be done Dr Pradeep or Dr Arika and in comprehensive and exclusive package it will be done by technicians. Rest all procedure will be same.

[KarmaPolice]

1 hour ago, Abhinay Singh said:

Sir, in Premium package Hairline implantation will be done Dr Pradeep or Dr Arika and in comprehensive and exclusive package it will be done by technicians. Rest all procedure will be same.

Thanks for the response Abhinay. 

Is it possible to opt for Dr. Pradeep Sethi in the Comprehensive and Exclusive Package or would our option be limited to Dr. Arika? I personally think both of them are great surgeons, but if need be & preferred, can a patient choose Dr. Sethi or does he exclusively operate in the Premium tier? 

[gillenator]

The big hair mills were notoriously noted for playing musical chairs on the day of surgery...the patient was led to believe he was getting the more experienced/talented surgeon only to find out on the morning of surgery that a completely different doctor was doing his procedure!

You have to make sure upfront at the time of enrollment that the surgeon of your choice will be doing your procedure and no one else.

Let's face it...every surgeon has to start somewhere...obviously they have less experience and in some cases "way less" experience and talent but how else do they gain this experience?

This is primarily why you will pay less for the more inexperienced doctor but the question you have to ask yourself is, "Are you willing to do that to save some money?"

[Abhinay Singh]

On 5/30/2020 at 5:04 PM, KarmaPolice said:

Thanks for the response Abhinay. 

Is it possible to opt for Dr. Pradeep Sethi in the Comprehensive and Exclusive Package or would our option be limited to Dr. Arika? I personally think both of them are great surgeons, but if need be & preferred, can a patient choose Dr. Sethi or does he exclusively operate in the Premium tier? 

Dr Pradeep does few cases only since he is focusing more on training and development which is the important part of every organisation. Also he has been working on his stem cell research so he has limited himself to Premium package where he is performing major tasks including hairline implantation. On the other hand Dr Arika does the maximum cases.