First HT not so satisfied result, waiting for second HT results

[Ceasar08]

After I read this yesterday, I had a feeling that this thread would get some attention.

 

I think what people need to realize is that this result has nothing to do with the "reality of transplants" but it has a lot more to do with the reality of life. Nothing is ever guaranteed. It's a hard thing to accept, so people start coming up with things like "he never should have had a transplant, etc." The truth is, we've seen plenty of young guys with aggressive loss who started with their procedures early and had wonderful success. Sometimes things don't work out. it's a harsh reality- and not anybody's fault.

 

This post makes people nervous, because everyone wants guarantees, and there simply aren't any guarantees. Not just in hair transplantation, but in everything and anything. The best you can do is to stack the odds in your favor and hope for the best. Any doctor who can "guarantee" a good result is lying. That's why all top doctors refer to the "x" factor. Unfortunately, Dr. Feller, Dr. Hasson, Dr. Wong, Dr. Shapiro, etc. can post a thousand amazing results, but it's going to be the rare guy who doesn't grow who will garner all the attention on a thread like this one.

 

This is exactly why a doctor would prefer a patient to come to him first. Posting in a public forum causes everyone to start bashing with stuff like: "what went wrong?" and "this guy never should have had a transplant." Everyone is just dying to be negative. Meanwhile, you end up scaring someone who might have wandered onto this thread. We all know that Dr. Feller is excellent. We know that for every guy like this, there are God knows how many successes. This forum exists to protect people from the hacks. Putting too much emphasis on a single result can be confusing for someone who is doing research. Dr. Feller is the sort of doctor you want to lead people towards, not away from. No doctor who I know of on this forum has ever claimed to have a perfect success rate. Harping on this thread is no different than showering praise on a doctor for one single guy who looks good, when he has a thousand guys who look terrible.

 

Dr. Feller is in his corner. I've heard stories on of doctors who had patients who didn't grow, where the doctors did not want to hear about it. They literally wouldn't come to the phone in their offices. I say, work it out with Dr. Feller, he is interested in getting you to where you want to be. If anybody doubts his integrity or skill because of this guy's result, you should be just as ready to doubt every doctor who has a guy like this.. which is every single one.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Dr Feller I know you mean well and have alot of pride but being a doctor you really need to get rid of this attitude when things dont go exactly your way

Let guys like me act immature . I would expect more from you.

I would hope youll do the same for this guy even if he came to you first.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzPBUGUM7KQ

[Ceasar08]

Sorry to post again... but I also think some people here are missing the point completely.

 

Dr. Feller has actually stated that he has other patients like this. So does every doctor. He is not claiming to be perfect, nor is he trying to cover anything up.

 

The issue is not whether this guy has the right to post, but the unfortunate way people react to posts like this. In a perfect world, people would be able to conclude that this is simply a guy who didn't grow out well. But what happens instead is that everyone starts contributing opinions as if they knew more about the case than they do. That's why doctors prefer it if a patient comes to them.

 

Hasn't this doctor posted enough excellent results over the years for you to trust him? If it weren't for "Monday morning quarterbacking" and people playing doctor on here, I bet Dr. Feller would have no issue with showing a pic like this himself.

 

And by the way... there is another thread right now where a Dr. Feller patient grew out beautifully, and you know what? Dr. Feller actually posted a link to this thread on that other one. How is that for transparency?

[Bill - Seemiller]

Swagger,

 

Did your medication wear out between your last two posts or something?

 

I understand your initial concerns, but as you've done in the past, you are being way too black and white. Frankly, you're one of the reasons why I posted above about this not turning into a mob fest against the doctor. This is not an Us (the patients) verses Them (the physicians) situation, nor does it have to be.

 

If you felt Dr. Feller spoke harshly with his patient and/or is failing to put himself in his patient's shoes, you could have just said it. Instead, your words are filled with hostility and were used like a poison to destroy rather than a constructive exhortation.

 

Nothing in your last post is truthful and is borderline libelous. Dr. Feller did nothing to "punish" this patient - he simply expressed his preference that his patient came to him first. You also accuse him of not standing behind his patients and are doing harm to the patient by encouraging him not to work toward resolution with his physician.

 

If you are going to make statements like this, you will be expected to substantiate them. Just as we hold physicians accountable for their action, so must we hold posters accountable for theirs.

 

Though all genuine opinions are welcome, we expect them to be constructive and not wrongfully destructive.

 

Bill

[lost my swagger]

no Bill my meds are on schedule.. what happened was i responded as diplomatic as i am capable of at first.. once finished i say a post from feller that i had not seen prior.. it set me off....

 

its bull s**t IMO to have this guy act as though his patient did something wrong in posting his result for us... feller is sending a bad message IMO... and then to openly state that since he went pubilc feller is not likely to be as kind with his case??? gimmie a break

 

feller is the only guy who makes my ego look small.... he is a vengeful "god" apparently. i dont like that.and i dont respect that........

 

anyway ive said my peace, i care very little what responses it gets from the good doc. so do not worry about it getting out of hand..

 

 

PGP--- that youtube link you posted was perfect... very fitting and very funny

[Bill - Seemiller]

Swagger,

 

I too agree that he may have been a little harsh with words with his patient. However, as I explained, the relationiship between the patient and the doctor is extremely important. If I was in Dr. Feller's shoes, I probably would have felt like I was slapped in the face when he went public before even contacting him privately.

 

From the patient's perspective, he didn't do anything wrong. But in order to preserve the doctor/patient relationship, we are strong advocates of patients communicating directly with the clinic first, even if it's to tell them that they are going to share their experience online.

 

That said, I think channeling your frustration into constructive words would be far better than making false claims.

 

Dr. Feller has developed an excellent reputation over the years because he does stand behind his patients. His patients over the years can attest to this, and I've been around a long enough tinme to see plenty of examples of this. So unless you have specific examples of cases where he didn't stand behind his patients and/or you are one of them, then your statements are based on hostile emotions and not factual information and should be retracted.

 

Bill

[Reverse the Curse]

lms

i agree chill out a bit. save that rage for when pats returns. dr feller is one of the good guys. hey, he may be a little arrogant but most doctors are. it's a fault some have like bad handwriting. if you read his 1st response he is right there for patient, he's just not sure who it is. i think hopeful may have fired him up & he snapped back at him not the patient.

rtc

[lost my swagger]

sounds good guys... im done.

 

Bill-- there are multiple quotes feller has made that indicate to me that he has changed the way we would handle this case SIMPLY because UHT went public and for NO OTHER REASON... if my statements are "borderline libelous" as you put it i would be happy to sent you the quotes im reffering to..i do stand by all that ive said....

[TheEmperor]

Dr. Feller,

 

I remember seeing this patient post his post op pics, and the question I asked myself then was "won't there be a gap behind the transplanted hairs?" Even in the pic it appears that there is a gap behind the transplanted hairs. This problem was compounded by agressive loss.

 

I think the two of you should have agreed to BLAST the whole front with 4K grafts, going between what little native hair remains in the middle and midscalp. There may have been financial considerations, but you had to have known this was going to happen and he'd be back in your office in 1-2 years.

 

I respect your work greatly, but in this case it appears (to me) that there was a slight lapse in judgement regarding the overall plan.

[Reverse the Curse]

i just realized what bugs me so much about this post. the title. had unforunate had been to see dr feller & was told i'll give you 2000 more at the same price the title would fit. it seems like he is building a case before dr feller has had a chance to evaluate. comes off underhanded to me & unfair.

rtc

[notjustyet]

I am glad to when I find a less than glowing revue of a doctors work..there is ssssoooooo much obvious pandering by paid showcases on the net its hard to find the other side.

 

As for Fellers response..well it comes off as arrogant and less than accomodating, he is after all a paying customer. A short response saying, "hey, call me and we can discuss" would have went futher.

 

And we are all big boys, its still okay as men to throw a few punches and not run outa the ring crying like little girls about who said what!

[Ceasar08]

Swagger -- I don't see one quote that indicates anything other than Dr. Feller's full support of this guy. This guy wrote a post asking everyone if he should talk to Dr. Feller. Isn't it obvious that Dr. Feller and/or Spex would end up reading this anyway? Why not just go to the guy and talk to him directly?

 

Emperor -- We don't know if this guy had the laxity for 4000+, we don't know his donor density, we don't whether he had the money, and we we have no idea what was discussed. Perhaps he was told he should expect to come back in a couple of years due to his young age, etc.

 

Folks... we are not doctors. Yes, we can tell when someone is obviously butchered, or work is not ultra-refined. But people are making an awful lot of judgments off of a few pics.

 

notjustyet -- you are "glad" when you find a "less than glowing review of a doctor's work?" REALLY? What part about that makes you happy? I personally am glad when I see happy patients. And is this a "review" of Dr. Feller's work?? That implies that the result is due to something on Dr. Feller's part. What evidence do you have of that? I see this is your first post... perhaps you can now run a "search" feature and find the zillion photos of other Dr. Feller patients who look great and contribute something to those threads as well.

[lara]

Hi Guys

 

I have read the whole post and am kind of surprised how the patient is being made look like a villian in this post..He might have not done the right thing by coming to the Forum first before contacting Dr. Feller but that does not hide the fact that the patient was not satisified with the transplant. If Dr. Feller and his agent post successful results of patients and expect to get in additional patients through this forum, then they should be man enough to own up bad transplants and stand behind their work. If Dr. Feller wants to use the defense of "not all transplants will be successful", then there is no point of having further discussions on forums like these...that is the end of the story..If Dr. Feller is making thousands from patients through this forum, i think it is fair enough that he compensate the less than 2% who dont get the desired result. Is that asking too much.. although, with the kind of attitude Dr. Feller has displayed, i would be scared to keep my head at his mercy...Also, if the doctor says, nothing was wrong in the transplant, who is to judge that..????this just scares newbies like me and makes me wonder if all this worth it...

[unfortunateHT]

lots said on this post....hmmm

 

Reverse the curse,

 

please read the reasons why i have posted this before meeting Dr.Feller after my 7th month visit.

 

I wanted to hear more of opinions from people in this forum, his patients, ppl who has experienced cases similar to me. That gives me more confidence than the confidence a doctor can give me in a visit and I heard many positive voices about Dr.Feller after this.

 

I have posted this in true spirit not to play blame game. I wish everyone can understand this.

 

As Bill said "Though all genuine opinions are welcome, we expect them to be constructive and not wrongfully destructive."

 

I request everyone to be constructive.

 

As many suggested, I will talk to Dr.Feller and discuss what can be done going forward to have good looking hair. I will keep you guys posted.

 

 

"PLEASE STOP BLAMING" (Excluding me), you can blame me. I am OK with it

[Ceasar08]

lara --

 

Just for clarification, I don't mean in any way to paint this patient as being a "villain." If anything, my heart goes out to him. He has suffered aggressive hairloss, and he has had a disappointing amount of growth. I wish him all the success in the world with getting everything straightened out.

 

The reason I am reacting so strongly, is because it only takes one thread to cast doubts in some people's minds, and that can be dangerous.

 

Picture the "newbie" who is thinking about going to MHR and who comes upon this thread. This complicates the decision making process for him. We need to emphasize the fact on this forum that the doctors in the "coalition" are all very much the real deal. We need to let everyone know that they are in safe hands, and as rtc put it, they are the undeniable "good guys" in the industry. It's important that never gets clouded over.

 

There is no reason to think this is a "bad Dr. Feller result" as much as there is reason to think that this is a guy who simply did not grow.

 

I am a Dr. Feller patient, and I can assure you that he is quite a good guy. He is simply passioante about his work and his reputation. Wouldn't you be?

[freakin]

It's not a perfect track record that makes a physician great, but how a physician handles less than optimal results and his patients.

 

Very true indeed and understated.

[BANDIDO]

This thread has been a real learning experience.

 

I wished Dr. Feller would have used his words more wisely.

 

 

Lost my Swagger is a passionate guy.

 

The Curse looks like a PR guy for Dr. Feller in this thread.

 

UnfortunateHT is a nice guy that wants good HT results.

[thanatopsis_awry]

The most vital post here is the initial, direct response to UHT, incidentally by Dr. Feller, himself, the meat of which includes:

 

"I am truly sorry that you are not satisfied with your result, it can and does happen, and I know that you are hurting because of it. You want answers, accountability, re-assurance, and most importantly-guidance moving forward. I am always available to offer all of that, but you have to at least identify yourself first in order for me to have the chance."

 

Extremely empathetic and willing -- if not eager -- to help, and wants to know all of the facts ASAP to bring whatever closure can be had.

 

"From the snippets of conversation you said we had back before your surgery in 2006 this was a possibility I was verbally concerned about and explains why I didn't bring the hairline lower as you requested, nor did a super large case. Since you haven't identified yourself to me nor made a complaint directly to me before coming on a public forum I don't have your file which may provide us with some very important information about your particular case."

 

Refers to reasons why I larger case was not performed, and affirms a strong desire to simply get all the facts laid onto the table so the situation can be assessed and responded to in the most honest, effective manner -- **and before ad hom and injurious remarks start getting flung....**

 

"I am not heartless and I am not un-empathetic to your situation, but if you had come to me personally you would have found that I would have offered you a significant discount on a second procedure. I would have done so not because I felt I did anything wrong, I know for a fact that I haven't; but because I know what it's like to be 25 years old, to be losing my hair, and to be tight on money; it would be my pleasure to see that my 'boys' get the very best I can offer."

 

This is interesting. The semantics, that is. It can certainly be construed, if not contorted, and be read as that Dr. Feller is "punishing" the patient and holding a grudge for not coming to before the forum. However, I truly don't believe this to be the case, and the semantics do not deserve to be construed as such. Dr. Feller's reputation in addition to the overarching tone and blatant empathy and care in his post (and that paragraph itself!) reigns supreme. I would bet dollars to donuts that he was simply expressing what he would have -- and would *still* -- offer to the patient, as well as letting him know that he would greatly have preferred the patient to at least talk to him person2person concurrently or before starting this thread.

 

"I think it's inappropriate to have this exchange online in a public forum, but you chose the venue, not I. As I've always said, I have no problem if a 24/7 live broadcast were made from my office covering all my consultations and surgeries. Transparency is a point of pride for me and there is nothing I would tell you in private that I wouldn't tell you in front of the entire HT community."

 

Everything is line and adds up. And, again, you can see why Feller is so emphatic in his desire to have all of the facts laid out onto the table because his reputation, which he greatly prides, is on the line, and "semantics" among many, many other things can be thrown into the lion's den. He believes in himself, believes in his ethics, and wants to protect it by further fulfilling his principle of transparency by knowing who he is dealing with and getting the facts laid out for his *and* the patients' sake(!)

 

"The lines of communication to my office are always open and it is my fervent hope that you will identify yourself and make an appointment to speak to me face to face."

 

The end to his response.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Thanatopsis,

 

In my opinion, your summary of Dr. Feller's thoughts are well put, logically formed, and properly balanced.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Reverse the Curse]

bandito

there is nothing more insulting then to be considered a shill in my eyes. when i read your post i agreed with everything but that line.

1st i had my ht with dr hasson not dr feller even though he was in my backyard.

2nd i doubt my "boss" would like me calling him arrogant though he might be able to handle the handwriting line.

3rd my concern is with patients 1st unless dr is being unfairly or wrongly accussed.

 

funny but after reading thana's post about dr fellers 1st response where was customer service denied. do you feel patient is due refund or 2nd ht if dr did everything properly? he offered him a better rate & upfront has expressed to patient the possible chance of average to below average result. how many other doctors out there are that honest & upfront?

rtc

ps

4th he's a yankess fan

[balody]

twenty three year olds should not be allowed to get a transplant.

it should be made law!

my 2 pence.

[Dr. Raymond Konior]

Personally, I would urge all surgical patients, regardless of the type of surgery, to first follow-up with the surgeon who performed their surgery whether there be a concern about a potential complication, a suboptimal result, or any other matter relating to the care that was rendered. It is the treating physician who knows your history and the details of your procedure better than anyone else. Any decent and caring physician takes great pride in his or her work and wants more than anything else to succeed in making their patients happy. Of course this request to return to your treating physician assumes that he or she is indeed a decent and caring person.

 

Follow-up care is crucial both for the patient and the physician. The patient benefits from having the opportunity to discuss their experience and for getting a professional assessment of their status from the person who best knows what was done. The physician benefits by having a chance to scrutinize his or her work and learning more about the surgical plan they had implemented. Be prepared to ask as many questions as possible if things did not go according to your expectations, and don't leave the office until you are 100% satisfied that you have a full comprehension of the situation. If ANY doubt remains after this, then you are obligated to seek additional consultation, preferably with more than one expert in the field so as to get different perspectives on the situation.

 

There is no question that every surgeon on this planet has his or her patients who are not 100% satisfied. To deny that would imply arrogance, inexperience or blindness on behalf of the boasting party. I have always viewed patients and their scalps like fingerprints or snowflakes ??“ no two are alike. The gamut that exists in the real world includes: 1) old patients versus young patients; 2) thin scalps versus thick scalps; 3) dry scalps versus oozing scalps; 4) miniaturized hair versus non-miniaturized hair; 5) thick caliber hair versus thin caliber hair; 6) high follicular-unit density versus low follicular-unit density; 7) high contrast hair versus low contrast hair; 8) high patient expectations versus low patient expectation; 9) responders to medical management versus non-responders; and 10) uneventful healers versus eventful healers. The intrinsic variables associated with this procedure contribute to the wide range of results that we all see on a day to day basis. Those of us who are really committed to this procedure do all we can to produce the best results possible, but these many variables confound the overall process and lead to results that vary from patient to patient.

 

There are variables associated with all surgical disciplines that can affect outcomes in a variety of ways. I have been on the receiving end of several less than perfect surgical outcomes ??“ hematoma following repair of an ankle fracture, midface infection following oral surgery, and keloid scar following excision of a chest lesion. The first person contacted in each case was the operating surgeon, and in all cases the issues were handled with a favorable end result. The key factors involved in these decisions were that each surgeon was a recognized expert, each surgeon was compassionate for their work, and each surgeon approached the problem promptly and professionally. Being very demanding for quality care I would be the first to jettison anyone treating me if they did not follow through on the commitment they made when accepting me as a patient. I am not suggesting that patients conceal their displeasures, but rather that they start by bringing their concerns to the person they initially entrusted to provide their medical care.

 

A final word of advice ??“ don't wait to contact your surgeon if you have ANY questions or concerns. Delaying that contact will only enhance your anxiety, frustration and anger. The stand-up physician truly cares about you and is there to help.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Nice post Dr Konior.

I hope things go well for ya Unfortunate.

We all know how it is to be unhappy with our hair .

Hopefully Dr Feller can help you .

The only reason Dr Fellers comments were taken the way they were is because of his past heated posts.

If this was lets say Dr Alexander no one would of took his comments any other way then positive.

I could post past comments from here and hlh to show you that Dr Feller can be vicious with his fingers .

Bottomline Dr Feller is a good guy and probably great face to face.

Its hard to read a person true intentions online

but Im sure that Dr Feller will still give you a substantial discount and get you where you want to be

Like he said your one of his boys.

[AdamB]

I don't really want to get involved in the arguement but i did just want to say balody that comment i don't think was very thought out would you like to state why it should be made against the law for a 23 year old to have a HT?

 

I'm 23 and 2.5months ago had a HT with Dr Feller and so far am happy, (not much going on there yet but i'm not even 3 months i've gotta be realistic i've got a long way to go)

 

Anyway, each case should, as has been said above, should be looked at as an individual case to say anyone under a certain age can't have a HT is not looking at the individuals case.

 

I fail to see why a young person should not have a HT but an older person can?

 

Lets say theres a chance the young person could lose more hair well so could an older person could they not? A NW3 40 year old could still lose more hair and have the same effect as a NW3 25 year old!

 

I hope that when my newly transplanted hair is fully matured in 14 months or so time i can live a happy and eventful life instead of a solitary, confined, unhappy life.

 

I'm not stupid i know in the future i WILL probably need another HT but i don't think me losing my hair when i'm older, married with hopefully someone who loves me for who i am and not my hair with kids etc that hairloss will bother me as much as it does now, maybe it will, but i don't think so.

 

Right now i wanna be able to go out with girls, party, socialise without thinking "girls will never like me i'm bolding" or "there looking at my bolding head so are they etc"

 

So for now when the hair grows out which i am certain it will and using a little concealler i think i can enjoy my youth.

 

And the future i'll decide that when it comes taking into account Dr Feller told me i had enough donor for possible 2 more HT's should i need them.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Adam usually hair loss is much much more aggressive in a younger man.

A guy in his 40s has a much better idea where hes headed as far as loss but your right surgery should be looked at as an individual case.

It should also be a choice in where you exhaust all means of researching ,and understanding the pros and cons.

Good luck with your growth.