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

[notsosure]

2 hours ago, AlBrown said:

Native Buckeye and current Chicago resident.  Similar situation as you, tapping this valuable resource for many years ultimately pulling the trigger.

I recently had a FUE operation with Dr. Konior a few weeks ago and so far the hardest part has been taking good pictures to eventually post my progress here.  

The surgery was a breeze and I am happy to answer any questions for a fresh perspective from a rookie HT recipient. Also travel back to Ohio frequently if you're in need of travel tips.

That's awesome. Thanks for posting the reply and the willingness to offer any suggestions. I'm staying at the Hilton (about a 10 minute drive). I've never even shaved my head before, so this is all quite a bit out of my comfort zone. I do actually have some questions for you, if you don't mind?

1. They're giving me a Valium prior to the surgery (which I assume is what they give to everyone). Did you fall asleep during the procedure? I'm thinking that sitting in some sort of chair for 10 hours is craziness and would make for a super long day. How was that part for you? Did it seem to go by fast, slow? Any insight into the actual day of the procedure would really help ease my mind (or maybe not. lol)

2. How often did you ice while at the hotel? Assuming you stayed at a hotel from that Tuesday-Saturday morning?

3. Did you Uber to and from the doc on the day of surgery? I'm curious how that went. I can imagine walking out of the clinic with a gross looking bloody scalp, and then stepping into someone else's car. Sounds... interesting... Does Dr. Konior cover your head with something?

4. Did you do any cleaning etc. yourself while at the hotel or did you just leave it to the Dr. during each of your follow-up appointments wed-sat?

Thanks!

[AlBrown]

3 hours ago, notsosure said:

That's awesome. Thanks for posting the reply and the willingness to offer any suggestions. I'm staying at the Hilton (about a 10 minute drive). I've never even shaved my head before, so this is all quite a bit out of my comfort zone. I do actually have some questions for you, if you don't mind?

1. They're giving me a Valium prior to the surgery (which I assume is what they give to everyone). Did you fall asleep during the procedure? I'm thinking that sitting in some sort of chair for 10 hours is craziness and would make for a super long day. How was that part for you? Did it seem to go by fast, slow? Any insight into the actual day of the procedure would really help ease my mind (or maybe not. lol)

2. How often did you ice while at the hotel? Assuming you stayed at a hotel from that Tuesday-Saturday morning?

3. Did you Uber to and from the doc on the day of surgery? I'm curious how that went. I can imagine walking out of the clinic with a gross looking bloody scalp, and then stepping into someone else's car. Sounds... interesting... Does Dr. Konior cover your head with something?

4. Did you do any cleaning etc. yourself while at the hotel or did you just leave it to the Dr. during each of your follow-up appointments wed-sat?

Thanks!

1) Great question!  I had the exact same thoughts and did not have faith valium would work since I do not fall/stay asleep easily.   That said, valium worked like a charm and the day went really fast.  I only remember sort of waking for lunch and each time they rotated me.  After everything was done, I did not feel very groggy so his office was really good with administering it.

2) Yes, stayed at the hotel and iced maybe once or twice but I had minimal swelling to be honest. I suggest keeping them on hand because its better to have and not need than need and not have. I did occasionally "rub" some of the minor swelling out per Anya's suggestion which worked well.

3) I am a city dweller so prefer walking and stayed at the Courtyard for that reason.   I walked there and planned to walk home but Dr. K kindly offered me a ride so figured why not.  
They only covered my donor area with a bandage.   Gross? haha We have all seen Dr. Konior's post-surgery photos and the scalps are anything but "bloody and gross" (I was no exception).

4) Another great question and similar concern of mine.  I left the head alone and went in each day for a clean which they almost preferred I did.  This put my concerns to rest and was happy how accommodating they were.

[notsosure]

9 hours ago, AlBrown said:

1) Great question!  I had the exact same thoughts and did not have faith valium would work since I do not fall/stay asleep easily.   That said, valium worked like a charm and the day went really fast.  I only remember sort of waking for lunch and each time they rotated me.  After everything was done, I did not feel very groggy so his office was really good with administering it.

2) Yes, stayed at the hotel and iced maybe once or twice but I had minimal swelling to be honest. I suggest keeping them on hand because its better to have and not need than need and not have. I did occasionally "rub" some of the minor swelling out per Anya's suggestion which worked well.

3) I am a city dweller so prefer walking and stayed at the Courtyard for that reason.   I walked there and planned to walk home but Dr. K kindly offered me a ride so figured why not.  
They only covered my donor area with a bandage.   Gross? haha We have all seen Dr. Konior's post-surgery photos and the scalps are anything but "bloody and gross" (I was no exception).

4) Another great question and similar concern of mine.  I left the head alone and went in each day for a clean which they almost preferred I did.  This put my concerns to rest and was happy how accommodating they were.

Great replies. Thanks for all of that! How many graphs did you end up getting again?

[uklex0608]

On 3/25/2021 at 6:54 PM, notsosure said:

Got it. Thanks man! I have Youtube TV, so will probably just bring my tablet along with me. How was sleep for you the first couple of nights? I'm getting FUE and I'm hoping that sleeping on my back will be doable since I won't have sutures etc. on the back of my head. Curious, did you get FUE or FUT?

The drugs helped bring the incision tenderness down enough to fall asleep (I had FUT).  They give you basically puppy pads when you leave to lay on.  Cover those pillows well with those!  I had to use two as I can move around a bit in my sleep and got some staining on the pillow the first night using just one.  I would imagine sleeping on your back after FUE would be even easier, but I’ll leave that for someone whose done both.

I also recommend a “cake shake” from Portillos while you’re in the area if you’re not on anything close to a diet.  It’s what I popped out of surgery wanting right away after years since my last one.

[AlBrown]

On 3/26/2021 at 7:33 AM, notsosure said:

Great replies. Thanks for all of that! How many graphs did you end up getting again?

I have not gotten the final numbers yet but quoted the 2000-2200 graft range.

[AlBrown]

15 hours ago, uklex0608 said:

I also recommend a “cake shake” from Portillos while you’re in the area if you’re not on anything close to a diet.  It’s what I popped out of surgery wanting right away after years since my last one.

 

+1 Portillos

Great call!  I love that place and worth a stop for anyone visiting town!!

Chicago’s Famous Cake Shake Is A Portillo’s Staple | Legendary Eats - YouTube

 

 

[anotherhairlosssufferer]

Damn if I only knew about this goodness  

[notsosure]

Thanks fellas. T-minus 8 days... Definitely the strangest procedure I've ever done. When I say "strangest", I'm sure it's just me projecting my thoughts on this because I don't know anyone personally who's had this done... and the words "hair transplant" have always had such an embarrassing , negative connotation associated with it. Probably from movies and so on, growing up. Thanks for the support everyone. I think I'll need every bit of it.

[NM156]

2 hours ago, notsosure said:

Thanks fellas. T-minus 8 days... Definitely the strangest procedure I've ever done. When I say "strangest", I'm sure it's just me projecting my thoughts on this because I don't know anyone personally who's had this done... and the words "hair transplant" have always had such an embarrassing , negative connotation associated with it. Probably from movies and so on, growing up. Thanks for the support everyone. I think I'll need every bit of it.

I chose Konior four years ago and I'm glad I did. You are in excellent hands and you will love the result..

 

Good luck and happy growing!

[Egott92]

On 3/24/2021 at 7:11 PM, notsosure said:

Hey, thanks a lot for your post. I've been browsing this forum for years and finally have gotten enough courage to get FUE surgery. I chose Dr Konior and my procedure is 2 weeks from yesterday! I'm very nervous. Now that you're a few weeks post surgery, are you happy with things? How many graphs did you end up getting? And was there anything negative or scary about the whole procedure? I live in Ohio and Dr Konior's office is a 6 hour drive, so I'll be staying in a hotel from Tuesday-Saturday, about 10 min from the office. Any advice etc you would be able to give to me would be so much appreciated, given you had the same doc that will be doing my procedure. Thank you!

Sorry for the late reply, but it looks like you've had great responses from other Dr. Konior patients. I echo everything everyone has already stated - you're in great hands (maybe the best hands). I think it's smart you're staying Tuesday-Saturday. Since you're having FUE, you will likely need far less recovery time than us FUT-ers. 

To briefly answer:

1) I'm happy with everything (pre-op care, post-op care, day of surgery, etc) but it's obviously far too early to tell about final result which is all I care about. I had FUT so the linear scar made it difficult to sleep for 2 weeks. I'm finally (nearly 3 weeks post op) getting an uninterrupted nights sleep with no pain. Your FUE procedure will be far less invasive with significantly less post-op pain.

2) 3,200

3) Nothing negative or scary that really is relevant to you since you're having FUE. The valium will really help mellow you out on the day of the procedure. The only negative part was not being able to sleep due to pain (result of FUT strip removal). Even though FUE is less invasive and I doubt you'll have the same donor pain, I'd recommend banking up on some quality sleep the week before the procedure. 

[notsosure]

On 3/29/2021 at 1:32 PM, Egott92 said:

Sorry for the late reply, but it looks like you've had great responses from other Dr. Konior patients. I echo everything everyone has already stated - you're in great hands (maybe the best hands). I think it's smart you're staying Tuesday-Saturday. Since you're having FUE, you will likely need far less recovery time than us FUT-ers. 

To briefly answer:

1) I'm happy with everything (pre-op care, post-op care, day of surgery, etc) but it's obviously far too early to tell about final result which is all I care about. I had FUT so the linear scar made it difficult to sleep for 2 weeks. I'm finally (nearly 3 weeks post op) getting an uninterrupted nights sleep with no pain. Your FUE procedure will be far less invasive with significantly less post-op pain.

2) 3,200

3) Nothing negative or scary that really is relevant to you since you're having FUE. The valium will really help mellow you out on the day of the procedure. The only negative part was not being able to sleep due to pain (result of FUT strip removal). Even though FUE is less invasive and I doubt you'll have the same donor pain, I'd recommend banking up on some quality sleep the week before the procedure. 

Hey, just a quick update. I’m now 7 days post FUE. 2200 grafts. Back home now. Feeling decent but still have head pain. Honestly I think it’s from the numbing shots. Those things were brutal. I stopped the Ibuprofen yesterday as I didn’t want to get into a habit of popping Ibuprofen every day for minor pain. 
 

I’m nervous showering regularly but have showered and let water run over the back of my head and onto the grafted area in the front. 
 

Are you still experiencing any pain in any area other than the donor scar area? 
 

And are you cool with shampooing etc just like normal or you still nervous/cautious after 3 weeks?

While the procedure wasn’t terrible and things seem to have gone great thus far, I don’t want to screw anything up and have to do this again 🙂 Curious if you felt like that and if that feeling left for you after 3 weeks?

Thanks man.

[notsosure]

On 3/29/2021 at 11:59 AM, NM156 said:

I chose Konior four years ago and I'm glad I did. You are in excellent hands and you will love the result..

 

Good luck and happy growing!

Hey, how long did it take for any of the pain in your head to go away? I’m 7 days post and definitely still have pain pretty much all over my head. Not unbearable at all, and I’m likely just a big baby, but am curious what the typical time frame is to feel normal without head pain.

[Egott92]

2 hours ago, notsosure said:

Hey, just a quick update. I’m now 7 days post FUE. 2200 grafts. Back home now. Feeling decent but still have head pain. Honestly I think it’s from the numbing shots. Those things were brutal. I stopped the Ibuprofen yesterday as I didn’t want to get into a habit of popping Ibuprofen every day for minor pain. 
 

I’m nervous showering regularly but have showered and let water run over the back of my head and onto the grafted area in the front. 
 

Are you still experiencing any pain in any area other than the donor scar area? 
 

And are you cool with shampooing etc just like normal or you still nervous/cautious after 3 weeks?

While the procedure wasn’t terrible and things seem to have gone great thus far, I don’t want to screw anything up and have to do this again 🙂 Curious if you felt like that and if that feeling left for you after 3 weeks?

Thanks man.

Hey there,

Make sure you read and continue to follow Dr. Konior's post-op instructions for showering. That is your best resource for exactly what you should be doing. If you have questions, I'd recommend e-mailing Dr. Konior directly. There is often conflicting evidence on this forum. For example, a moderator mentioned that I should use a Vitamin E oil for my incision line, but Dr. Konior explicitly told me to not use vitamin E oil as some research suggests that it can actually slow healing. Everyone has great intentions, but it's always best to get your information directly from the source (i.e., a real doctor).

At the 2-week point after the procedure, I had massive relief and started to finally have much less pain and better sleep. For some it takes longer, for others (especially patients undergoing FUE like yourself) it may be less than that. By day 7, I was still in pain and could barely sleep. Totally normal! Now, over 1 month since the procedure, I am pain free and already restarted all physical activity with no problems. Again, expect it to take a few weeks post-op to have some relief. 

Hope that helps!

[notsosure]

Ok, day 10 photo below. Starting to get the crusting. Have less pain than day 5. Definitely still pain, but I think it's primarily from the places where the shots went in for numbing. Those things were crazy painful. Head is also still pretty much exactly as numb as I was on day 2. Still water running down head sensation (I assume nerves healing?). Not painful, just annoying (and wondering if this will happen forever, so lots of self talking going on inside my head).

Overall, I think it looks really good. Any thoughts on anything I mentioned above? Thanks everyone.

[Britanium]

Looking really clean and healing very well. The edema in your forehead will reduce and you won’t have the feeling of the water running down forever. 

[makehairgreatagain]

The pain will subside. You're right about the nerves, they're healing and getting used to the follicles. Looks great though. You've been doing a good job keeping it clean.

[Egott92]

27 minutes ago, notsosure said:

Ok, day 10 photo below. Starting to get the crusting. Have less pain than day 5. Definitely still pain, but I think it's primarily from the places where the shots went in for numbing. Those things were crazy painful. Head is also still pretty much exactly as numb as I was on day 2. Still water running down head sensation (I assume nerves healing?). Not painful, just annoying (and wondering if this will happen forever, so lots of self talking going on inside my head).

Overall, I think it looks really good. Any thoughts on anything I mentioned above? Thanks everyone.

Looks great. Exactly how mine looked 10 days post-op and I was already shedding lots. 

[deeznuts]

that hairline looks amazing. great result by konior

[Britanium]

@Egott92how are your progressing ? 🙏

Edited April 18, 2021 by JohnAC71

[notsosure]

On 4/16/2021 at 12:41 PM, Egott92 said:

Looks great. Exactly how mine looked 10 days post-op and I was already shedding lots. 

Looks so good. I’m also curious how the head is looking today?

[Egott92]

7 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

@Egott92how are your progressing ? 🙏

Just now, notsosure said:

Looks so good. I’m also curious how the head is looking today?

Everything has shed since like week 2, but I’m about 1.5 months since the procedure and happy to see a few hairs starting to sprout/grow. Nothing major though, that’s why I haven’t posted any updates. 

[Britanium]

Yup looking all good for this early stage ! Can see where the hairline will come in. The redness should fade before too long also. 
Thanks for the update 👏👏

[notsosure]

50 minutes ago, Egott92 said:

Everything has shed since like week 2, but I’m about 1.5 months since the procedure and happy to see a few hairs starting to sprout/grow. Nothing major though, that’s why I haven’t posted any updates. 

Dang, new hairs after just a month and a half. This is going to turn ourt great! I'm eager to shed the little scabs and transplanted hairs so I can shower 100% normally and not even think about scratching/toweling off/bumping my head and so on.

Edited April 18, 2021 by notsosure

[Tola]

You will have an excellent result. I have an appointment with Dr Konior in a month to plan for my FUT surgery 

[Melvin- Admin]

The ugly duckling phase is in full effect, but in a few months this will be a distant memory