~3,200 graft FUT with Dr. Konior - March 8, 2021

[Egott92]

Hi all,

Since everyone on this forum has been instrumental in my years of research for the best surgeon for me, I figured I'd pay it back by making this thread about my 3,200 FUT frontal restoration procedure with Dr. Konior. I traveled from Miami to Chicago for the procedure.

Dr. Konior initially scheduled me for a 3,000 graft FUT to restore the front hair line and densely pack. He ended up extracting around 3,200. It's only been 48 hours since the procedure, so I don't have any exact counts yet. I'll ask and get the exact numbers and types of grafts (singles, doubles, triples, etc) during my check ups this week.

DAY OF SURGERY:

I arrived at 6:30AM and quickly began the in-person consult with Dr. Konior. My first impression was exactly why I consider him to be one of the best in the business. We literally spent over an hour discussing the perfect hairline design for me. He tweaked it every few seconds for at least 20 minutes until it was perfect. As others have noted, he's a true perfectionist. I initially was nervous to ask for a slightly more aggressive hairline, but we both agreed on an age appropriate yet significantly lowered hairline that nicely filled in my temples. I promised to stay on finasteride/minoxidil for life (I already have been on moxidil for 4 years, and topical finasteride for 1 uear) so I can at least maintain my native hairs. 

After the 1 hour consult and agreement on the hairline, it was time to go into the operating room. I was given medication to help me relax and dose off. Every time I woke up, Dr. Konior was right by my side. I don't think he ever left the room except for when I had my own breaks for lunch and bathroom. I was extremely comfortable. Like others have mentioned, the only slightly painful part was the injection of the numbing agent in the donor area. The best part of this entire experience was that there was no rush. We had all day, I was the only patient he was seeing that day, and he did  the entire procedure with only minimal help from technicians (based on what I could feel/hear -- my eyes were covered with a gauze). The primary technician has been with him for 27 years. 

It was a long day. The procedure ended at around 9PM. So, 6:30AM until 9PM. Since the procedure, I've had some discomfort on the incision line (to be expected) but the recipient area doesn't hurt at all. The pain relief meds have definitely helped tons.

PRE-OP PHOTOS:

 

 

PRE-OP HAIRLINE DESIGN

POST-OP (between 1-2 days after procedure):

 

 

I'm pretty swolen, so I'm sure once the swelling goes down so too will the hairline height. Either way, I'm thrilled thus far. You can tell it's really nicely/densely packed. Once I receive the exact numbers I will update the community. 

Lastly, I just want to say thank you all for sharing your experiences on this forum. I hope to pay it forward with this post and future updates.

Now, the waiting game..

Edited March 11, 2021 by Egott92

[Britanium]

Absolutely stunning work as we have come to expect from Dr Konior ! About as refined as you can get. Excellent write up too. Look forward to reading more and following your journey 🙏

[hairlossPA]

will be following. looks good so far

[Melvin- Admin]

This looks excellent very reminiscent of @Yolando I’m always impressed by the quality of Dr. Konior, I’ll be following your progress closely. Happy growing 🙌🏼

[makehairgreatagain]

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's the best thing we can continue to do to help out others. Congrats and please keep us updated!

[kramer79]

Work looks good.

Can you provide a picture of the scar/donor area when you get a chance

Edited March 11, 2021 by kramer79

[Egott92]

5 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

Absolutely stunning work as we have come to expect from Dr Konior ! About as refined as you can get. Excellent write up too. Look forward to reading more and following your journey 🙏

Thank you so much! I will be sure to update every few weeks or so

[Egott92]

4 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

This looks excellent very reminiscent of @Yolando I’m always impressed by the quality of Dr. Konior, I’ll be following your progress closely. Happy growing 🙌🏼

Thanks Melvin. Very grateful for all you've done for this community. Your posts on this forum have definitely alleviated most of my stress about having a transplant and reminded me of the need for patience moving forward.

[Egott92]

3 hours ago, makehairgreatagain said:

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's the best thing we can continue to do to help out others. Congrats and please keep us updated!

My pleasure and thanks for your message! The least I could do is give back to those who have helped me along the way when choosing the right surgeon, procedure, recovery tips, etc.

[Egott92]

1 hour ago, kramer79 said:

Work looks good.

Can you provide a picture of the scar/donor area when you get a chance

Of course. The surgery was less than 48 hours ago, so it's still quite sore and red. Would you want a picture now or in a few weeks once the sutures are removed? 

[follically challenged]

Just now, Egott92 said:

Would you want a picture now or in a few weeks once the sutures are removed? 

Both please!😀

[Egott92]

9 minutes ago, follically challenged said:

Both please!😀

You got it. Remember, it has only been around 38 hours since the surgery and I haven't been able to properly shower/rinse the scalp. I have come in every day to the clinic for them to apply ointment.

Also, apologies for the not great angles. This is the best I can do for now solo

Edited March 11, 2021 by Egott92

[Britanium]

FUT looking really clean even at this stage. 👏

[Melvin- Admin]

15 minutes ago, Egott92 said:

Thanks Melvin. Very grateful for all you've done for this community. Your posts on this forum have definitely alleviated most of my stress about having a transplant and reminded me of the need for patience moving forward.

That’s awesome man glad I could help.

[Egott92]

4 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

FUT looking really clean even at this stage. 👏

Man this community is awesome. Thank you so much for the kind words!

[Britanium]

12 minutes ago, Egott92 said:

Man this community is awesome. Thank you so much for the kind words!

It’s the best (I could be biased) 😂🤣 certainly my forum of preference ... 

Edited March 11, 2021 by JohnAC71

[Britanium]

Dr Koniors FUT end up usually practically invisible/pencil thin. 🙏

Edited March 11, 2021 by JohnAC71

[Egott92]

1 hour ago, JohnAC71 said:

Dr Koniors FUT end up usually practically invisible/pencil thin. 🙏

I can only hope so!

[Gatsby]

You've gone to one of the best surgeons in the world. Looks very clean and I look forward to your updates. Congratulations!

[stephcurry30]

This is gonna be a home run result. Couple of questions.

What is your age and what was the post operation care like? 

[Charlii]

What a density!😲

[Egott92]

10 hours ago, stephcurry30 said:

This is gonna be a home run result. Couple of questions.

What is your age and what was the post operation care like? 

I hope so! I am nearly 29 years old. Post-op care has been surprisingly minimal. I have been taking an oral antibiotic every 6 hours. I come back into the clinic every morning/early afternoon since the procedure for a fine-tuned cleaning and spraying/hydrating of the recipient area and application of ointment to the incision line. Essentially, they don't want me to do anything except take the oral antiobiotic. No misting/spraying at home - that's done in the clinic once a day for me. Today (3 days after procedure) I will now be able to lightly massage the incision donor area with some chemical-free shampoo, rinse off with a very light stream of water (or a cup filled with water), and lightly tilt my head forward to let the soapy water stream onto my grafts and let everything air dry (no touching of grafts yet).

 

**EDIT** Now, on the 3rd day post-op I have been instructed to begin misting with the saline solution every hour or so. I'm going into the office now for a cleaning so will update later.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Egott92

[Egott92]

6 hours ago, Charlii said:

What a density!😲

Thanks for the comment @Charlii  That's the dream! I'm hoping the final result shows that as well. I'm coming back in Jan 2022 for the crown and a touch-up, so if there are any areas that require more density I'll be able to add that then.

[aaron1234]

You already have a good head of hair so wise decision to stick to the meds.  This looks like the ultra-refined work that we all expect from Dr K, also so densely packed.  Be patient these next fews months but you should totally expect an amazing result! 

[BDK081522]

Thanks for posting Egott! It's the information that you provide which will guide those starting their hair restoration journey. Very informative and excellent description of your operative day and follow up care. This information will hopefully allow others a sneak peek into the process at Chicago Hair Institute and what makes Dr Konior the best in the world. You have an exciting 12 months ahead of you. Don't get down during the ugly duckling period. It feels like a lifetime while you're in it, but is really just a sliver of time in the whole process. You've chosen wisely!