How important is the Post OP Visit?

[AnimaI]

 Covid has really made this so much more frustrating.

My original appointment was back in April and my flight got canceled.

i rescheduled for October.

Now I found out the other day from the airlines that my departing flight leaves first thing in the morning instead of much later in the evening.

this throws a huge wrench into the post op visit. I reached out to the doctor and he said that he will go over everything with me  before surgery in regards to the post op visit and a few days after surgery to remove the bandages.

He said it’s been done before by other patients. I just wanted to see if anyone else has had any experience or knows the extent of how important the post op visit really is.

Also obviously if I can’t make the post op visit should I ask for money off the surgery?

Also I really don’t want to rebook. I’ve taken off 2 weeks of work for this and rather just get it over with instead of keep putting it off and rescheduling for something else to come up.

any help would be appreciated.

[Gatsby]

Animal I feel your frustration. I guess when you look at this in the bigger picture your hair transplant/s are for life. Something you will see in the mirror every time you look into it. In the bigger picture try and see it in this perspective. I've been waiting to travel for my hair transplant since March and it won't be until well into next year (due to Covid) until I will be able to have my surgery. Take care.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Gatsby

[pkipling]

While having an in-person post-op visit is ideal, I wouldn't consider it a dealbreaker if circumstances keep this from being possible. The surgeon will take extra measures the day of surgery to go over everything and make sure you're good to go. Typically, it's a simple "look over" to make sure everything looks good (which if you're with a good surgeon, it almost always will), and I would ask if you can do a Skype/Virtual Post-Op visit once you get back home. They also typically give you you first hair wash and show you how to wash it yourself in the weeks to come, but this is something they can teach you ahead of time as well. 

You most likely will be able to reach out to his office the days following as well should anything come up, and you have a great resource in this forum as well - so I'd move forward as planned if it were me. Best of luck on the procedure!

[sl]

I would agree with the above, the surgery ends and most fly home the next day and often without time to be seen then but it is not an essential and the patient can remove the bandage once home from the donor and follow the post op instructions given to them and keep in contact with the clinic.  All the best.

[jimcraig152]

With FUE, unless you have an infection, I would say it is academic medically and is done to address psychological, perhaps even procedural, concerns as a service to the patient.

[ciaus]

I didn't do any post-ops meets with my doc on either of my 2 procedures and he lives in the same city as I do. Most of what could go wrong, if it does, already happened during the procedure. Just take it easy and follow the instructions on the handout/website.

[LaserCap]

The pandemic sure has put a monkey wrench on everything...that should be taken into consideration.  Typically, however, post op visits are important - particularly if something is obviously wrong.  That's at the very beginning.  3, 6, 9 and 12 month intervals are also important.  Most agree you will not enjoy the full result of the procedure until a year post op.  So say the results are noticeable bad, the doctor will be the first to say,...."but you never came to any of your post op visits."  Not that anything could be done, mind you. But it is a defense mechanism all seem to have when someone complaints.  But again, we are living in strange and challenging times.  Like pkipling suggests, arrange for a Skype consult and document your results.  Keep in touch with the clinic. This is just a smart practice.