Experience with Dr Russell Knudsen in Sydney, Australia?

[_lshy]

I'm back at it again, had a second consultation with Dr Knudsen.

I am once again considering going ahead with it, but again it's hard for me to really commit due to the lack of cases. He has updated his website with new before and after photos.

I was quoted the same graft count of ~1000 grafts +-200. I also asked to have my temporal points re-enforced which he thinks would be an additional 100-200 grafts. He offered either FUE or FUT, saying it didn't matter which one I chose.

I found this case online which doesn't look bad:
https://www.realself.com/review/brisbane-au-36-year-male-hair-transplant

Also his page on the ISHRS is here: https://ishrs.org/doctor/36959/

This results in the attached image don't look bad after 1118 grafts - thought it's hard to gauge given the low quality photo.

Are there any new reviews from Dr Knudsen?

Edited November 1, 2021 by _lshy

[Curious25]

For a doctor who has apparently been around since the 80's . . a lack of cases and patient posted results would deeply concern me. 

[Gatsby]

@_lshy I would seriously forget about having a hair transplant with Knudsen (or any hair transplant surgeon for that matter). Australia is opening up tomorrow to international travel FINALLY after 20 months of being isolated from the rest of the world. In two more months other countries like India, etc will be on that list of destinations that we can travel to. You are putting yourself at great risk of having doubles placed in your hairline, etc. On top of this you are paying the same or more than you would with any elite hair transplant surgeon in the world! Why would you choose an Australian surgeon compared to any of the best listed here? If it's the issue of travel then I can promise that the inconvenience of a couple of days in the air, etc is far outweighed by a lifetime of regret looking into the mirror. I've been there and seriously urge you to take your time and choose the right surgeon for you. Incidentally that first picture was also shown to me by Knudsen and Vikram to me as a result I could achieve. Even though I am a Norwood 6!!!

[_lshy]

36 minutes ago, Curious25 said:

For a doctor who has apparently been around since the 80's . . a lack of cases and patient posted results would deeply concern me. 

Yeah this blows my mind. He was the president of the ISHRS for a year, he received awards, is recommended by Dr Rassman and has apparently personally conducted over 5000 surgeries - but the photos on his site are very low quality, there are very few case reports and it's extremely difficult to understand the results they attained due to the angle and resolution of the photos.

I asked him about why he had so few images on his website during our consultation and he said that clients had to consent to showing their results online otherwise he couldn't publish the results. He also went on to tell me that the results on his website were not his best results as he preferred to ensure that he maintained realistic expectations in his clients - specifically he said that he liked to under promise and over deliver. 

Quote

I've been there and seriously urge you to take your time and choose the right surgeon for you.

Man, it really sucks that this is the case, you're probably right.

The sad thing is that Dr Knudsen might be a good surgeon and do great work, but his website and cases are just not numerous or detailed enough to give me confidence in that.

[_lshy]

This really is great, it's not by Dr Knudsen himself but work done by his clinic by Dr V.

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/57907-fut-performed-by-dr-vikram-jayaprakash-at-the-knudsen-clinic-my-hair-loss-journey/page/2/

[_lshy]

Sorry for the spam, just digging up cases to assess the results from Dr Knudsen to help with the assessment.

I am trying to be fair and balanced because there is a strong pull here to completely discount his clinic and I respect that and might end up going with someone in north america instead but I want to be sure that it's worth the trouble (consider it will be more than double the cost to fly to NA and get work done).

3000 grafts to hairline (video)
 

600 grafts to hairline (video)
 

Unclear how many grafts were used here and what the procedure was. He mentions the ARTAS robot though
 

1200 grafts via ARTAS

 

800 grafts via ARTAS

1547 grafts

Larger size of the original image in the OP 651 grafts

1325 Grafts

 

 

[Gatsby]

It’s totally up to you but for the small cost and inconvenience I see this as the least of your concerns when it comes to surgery. The results will be there for you to look at in the mirror every day for the rest of your life. I’ve spent the past 37 years in Australia researching nearly every surgeon and I know several techs who work in the business here. The amount of unsatisfied patients is legion. This could have been prevented if they were patient and did their research on elite surgeons. Surgeons who understand temple points, crown direction, not placing doubles in the hairline, donor management, etc. The evidence for poor work continues despite the huge advances in FUT/FUE over the past 15-20 years. The prices commanded for this work here is outrageous. I’m also talking from personally experience. Learn by my mistakes. They are far more inexpensive and scar free. 

[_lshy]

I'm not disagreeing with you but please understand that I am trying to be sure by understanding why people are advising against Dr Knudsen.

I am trying to be rational and empirical with a topic that is highly subjective and invokes a passionate and intense response. I have read posts that have literally called Dr Knudsen a "bad doctor" digging into it further, it appears there is no basis.

Reading things like "you will have doubles in your hairline" and "you will need to look at yourself in the mirror every day" might be true, but tell me why you make that accusation.

This whole procedure invokes a lot of anxiety and I come to this forum for guidance in a field where the liability is on me. Spooky statements don't help.

If I have to go overseas, that's fine but it's not without its own set of cons.

Quote

The prices commanded for this work here is outrageous.

I agree, $7.50 USD per graft is not cheap - but for a procedure like mine, where I probably need 1500 grafts, that's $11,250 USD.

If I go to Dr Blake Loxham or Hassan and Wong, I am looking at $10 a graft + a flight + accomodation. I would be looking at close to double my initial cost.

Erdogan or similar Turkish clinics are around $3USD per graft but for me it would be around the same price.

The advantage is maybe they have better results. The disadvantage is I can't just catch the train to get a touch up done in 12 months.

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I know several techs who work in the business here [...] The amount of unsatisfied patients is legion.

If you are truly passionate about protecting people from Australian clinics, please expand on this. Can you reach out to these people and have them engage in these discussions. It would be better than boycotting Australian clinics because you'd be holding them accountable for their poor workmanship.

At the moment, the issue I see is that there isn't enough data to know if Australian clinics are good and the safe choice is to go to a clinic with lots of testimony. With your connections you can make a real different by providing some visibility into the Australian market. Rather than people just saying "yeah I heard they were bad" you can point to why they are bad and people like me, looking for a surgeon, can be given more than spooky words.

They are far more inexpensive and scar free

Knudsen offered both FUT or FUE, saying the results were the same only the price was different. He didn't have a preference either way. Dr Vikram specialises in FUE and was trained under Dr Knudsen.

Call with Dr Vikram

For what it's worth, I spoke to Dr Vikram on the phone and asked what his thoughts are on the comments on these forums and how I make a decision when faced with the above.

Firstly he endorses Dr Knudsen's skills.

Secondly he believes that testimony through images is not really the best metric to use when assessing a surgeon - particularly if it's the only metric used. 
He cites that Dr Knudsen has been operating for 25+ years, taught him over the last 10 years and has given lectures on topics like natural hairline design.
He believes the notion that I would end up with doubles in the hairline is simply not true.

I'm really not closer to a decision at this point

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by _lshy

[Curious25]

49 minutes ago, _lshy said:

The advantage is maybe they have better results

Well surely this should answer your question . . it's the most important part! Why are you wanting to get a procedure, to get good results, or because it was convenient to travel to the clinic? 

I can tell you, that going through a procedure and waiting for the results to grow in, is a very anxious process for everyone, and this is going to be massively exacerbated if you have any sort of lingering pre doubts about your surgeon going into it. 

 

[_lshy]

I totally acknowledge that and that's why I haven't proceeded with Knudsen yet - but the point I was making is that it's a maybe and I want to make sure. So I am trying to do my due diligence before completely disregarding Knudsen or Vikram. 

I don't necessarily need Hollywood hair. If I am 80% the way to Machine Gun Kelly's hair, can spend less money and don't need to leave the country I feel like that's a compelling value proposition.

And of course if that's a fantasy where the reality is I end up with double grafts in a poorly designed hairline, then yeah I guess it's off to NYC I go. I'm okay with that conclusion.

Edited November 1, 2021 by _lshy

[Curious25]

If this is a result he showcases on his website, then it literally says it all IMO. 

The inconvenience of travelling, and paying for flights and paying for accomodation is minuscule in comparison to walking around with a less than satisfactory result, I can promise you that. Just re-look at it as an opportunity to travel and visit a new city or part of the world, surely that will be nice considering you won't have been able to leave Oz for almost 2 years? 

If you are prepared to fly to Europe, and visit one of the top FUE surgeons here, then even after flights and accomodation costs, you will likely be surprised at how it doesn't work out to be all that much more. Remember, money always comes and goes over a course of your lifetime, and playing with a finite resource of donor hair, well this does not come back around. 

[Gasthoerer]

This discussion is very familiar to me, as we have the same issues in my country: until recently there has been no quality clinic in the entire country. And just like you, people can't believe it or do not want to believe that and try to find arguments for certain local clinics. 

The thing is: it does not work that way. Instead of desperately looking for arguments for unknown local clinic, you select between the proven clinics with hundreds of cases reported in here and other forum from real patients. The latter is challenging enough, the first is nearly impossible and also not logical. 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Gasthoerer

[_lshy]

Yeah, sadly I am slowly coming to accept that reality. I honestly don't know that Dr Knudsen is explicitly bad and given his credentials it's probably unreasonable to believe that I would have a result I am unhappy with.

At the end of the day the risk is high and the liability of a poor aesthetic result is on me. There are no government bodies protecting my hairline and I am not a hair surgeon to know what is or what isn't a good surgeon.

The only tool at my disposal is verifying credentials and reading testimony. Short of that, it's all based on faith.

[Gatsby]

1 hour ago, _lshy said:

There are no government bodies protecting my hairline and I am not a hair surgeon to know what is or what isn't a good surgeon.

And this exactly why you cannot base permanent life altering surgery based on faith or trust. It has to be based on logic. No amount of money can bring back lost grafts used as doubles in the hairline but a ridiculous amount of money with Knudsen can create those results!! His partner is Dr Vikram Jayaprakash. Do yourself a favour and Google 'Vikram Jayaprakash' 'New Zealand' and 'Fraud.' It's on public record and Dr Knudsen is his surgical partner and not only is aware of this but very happy to choose him as his partner. In terms of ethics it speaks equally about Knudsen as it does about Jayaprakash. As I have always said people need to 'do their research.' All the best!

[_lshy]

I am looking internationally for surgeons that aren't too far from Australia, any suggestions?

[Britanium]

5 minutes ago, _lshy said:

I am looking internationally for surgeons that aren't too far from Australia, any suggestions?

Eugenix springs to mind. I know it’s still quite a distance but they are certainly worth the travel… 

[Melvin- Admin]

@_lshy You’ve been on this strange campaign trying to convince the community of this particular clinics work. I’m not sure why you’re so adamant. If our community isn’t convinced it’s for a reason. Now, if you’re convinced by all means go. But stop constantly posting the same things over and over again. 

[Bald_Man]

Hi @_lshy

Just wondering if you found a reliable clinic overseas.

[Viney]

27 minutes ago, Bald_Man said:

Hi @_lshy

Just wondering if you found a reliable clinic overseas.

Pretty sure he went to Dr Path in Thailand. Consider going on his profile and finding his thread. Results look really good so far. It's a fun and feel good thread. His posts are good quality.

Edited May 11, 2022 by Viney