Jump to content

GATSBY 'UNPLUGGED!' 15,671 (3 surgeries) Grafts FUE+BHT Dr. Sethi Eugenix


Gatsby

Recommended Posts

  • Regular Member
44 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

After two long years of waiting for my surgery, the day for departing Australia had finally arrived. I made my way to Melbourne airport on Sunday. With a couple of hours up my sleeve and with Australian border bureaucracy as it has been, there had to be still one form that was missing. Fortunately, a Qantas official came to my aid and spent an hour with me on my phone downloading apps, uploading more pics, documents, etc, until eventually I was on that plane and it was lift off at long last. When I landed in Delhi after a long flight, lot of great memories came flooding back to me, having travelled and back packed through India several times before. However, once I walked out of the Delhi airport this time, I soon realized that this was no back packing trip. I arrived to the greetings of a huge bouquet of flowers and a camera crew which greeted me like a rock star, filming and capturing photos of my every move! First off I was met by Raj from Eugenix who chatted with me in the car about a host of different issues (apart from just hair) as our driver Jeldah drove. Next when we arrived at the Eugenix Farmhouse and I thought I had arrived in Shangri la! If you do go to Eugenix for surgery, get used to the staff fighting over carrying the smallest bag upon you. It was here also that I finally met Anil. While chatting with Anil I began to hear the dulcet tones of  ‘Welcome brother!’ I turned around to see Dr Pradeep, who welcomed me with a huge embrace. I was told to sit and eat (something that Melvin had warned me about but no amount of fasting could have prepared me for this much food!!!). THE FOOD! For the next eight days it just never ended! ‘Twenty seven’ hours later after dinner I was taken to the Westin Hotel to sleep on the first night before my first day of surgery the following day.

 

 

I awoke the next morning feeling fully rested and after eating a huge breakfast I was picked up and driven to Eugenix. I was introduced to the Eugenix film crew which decided that we should do some video’s in the morning before surgery with Muddah, Raman, Yash, Pradeek and Aditya. The problem during filming though was that Yash kept geting the giggles and we all lost our shit!! CUT! (Be prepared to have camera’s around you at times and just take it all in your stride and have fun!) After filming the next stop was with Dr Pradeep in his office and he assessed my scalp and beard donor supply. Despite the many photos, video’s and WhatsApp chats with Dr Pradeep over the past couple of years, my donor fell short of what Dr Pradeep was expecting. The scalp donor was a little less robust and even my beard was less than what he had imagined. Still, Dr Pradeep was not dissuaded, and he ensured me that I would get a great result regardless and that we should be aiming to extract up to 8,000 grafts to which I was delighted to hear. However harvesting my grafts turned out to be more of a marathon than a sprint. The original three days of surgery that Dr Pradeep had initially planned now turned out into becoming six long days straight, totaling almost 60 hours on the table. As I write this now however and reflecting on my experience, it was worth every single minute of it.

 

Dr Pradeep then then drew my hairline free hand and I was delighted that it included hiding my hairline scar (from previous botched work) that had always been a source for self-consciousness for myself. He drew the hairline so that the grafts would come down to just ‘kiss’ the very edge behind the scar on the left, slightly overlap the scar at the mid point and then rise a little behind the scar on the right as it met the opposing temple. In all, my 15 cm long hair line scar would now be reduced to just 1.5cm’s exposed and yet this new hairline would still look natural and non-juvenile for my age. There was nothing I wanted to change about it. It was asymmetrical and it just looked natural in both its height and design. I was then taken to a cloak room to change out of my clothes and into patient garb and after a short wait with an explanation of what was involved with surgery, I entered the theatre. Here I was greeted by more nurses, doctors, techs, etc, as my long-awaited surgery began. Dr Pradeep began making the slits for the hairline and the beginning of the frontal third while scalp grafts began to be extracted by the very competent Dr Shishir. When the first day was finished, I was given medication by Anil who explained to me what to take and when. The next morning, I was again picked up from the Westin where I again stayed for the second night and we again returned to Eugenix to repeat the procedure. More grafts were extracted from the scalp and Dr Pradeep began to assess my beard for both hair quality and density, etc. After anesthesia was injected into my cheeks and my face became numbed, Dr Shishir began scoring out and extracting beard grafts that were to be used for behind the hairline, the mid-section and for the crown which were to be mixed in with more scalp grafts. By the end of the second day, we had 5,000 pre made slits in total and 1,235 grafts transplanted and to top all of this off I now had temple points! 184 scalp grafts for the left temple point and 223 scalp grafts for the right temple point. It was slow and steady going as there were many challenges that we had to face. This surgery wasn’t simply a straightforward hair transplant. We had to tackle poor scalp donor, a large head and crown and scars along the hairline and donor area that I wanted to be addressed. Dr Pradeep attacked this like a mathematical equation and though he didn’t always say much, you could almost hear his mind ticking over as his talent rose to the fore, drawing on the thousands of surgeries he had performed before. I never once doubted or questioned any of Dr Pradeep’s decisions, nor that of any of the other doctors or techs involved. I asked a lot of questions at times and they answered each and every one of them. Their skills in patient communication matched that of their surgical brilliance! The entire team worked along like a well-oiled machine in harmony the entire time.

 

Day three and another long ten-hour day of surgery soon began. By the end of this day we were now at a total of 5,765 grafts moved. When surgery was finished, I was then driven to the Eugenix farm house for another ‘HUUUUUGE’ dinner. After dinner I relaxed sitting around the fire outside with Dr Pradeep and some of his friends. One was a famous Hindi singer and the other was Dr Vinita or ‘Winnie’ who was involved in my surgery and I must admit was very ‘easy on the eyes’ to say the least! After chatting with Winnie after this night I kept telling myself that if I was only 20 years younger and an extra 5,000 scalp grafts! Hmmmm!!!!! 😉Just as with the Eugenix surgery staff, the Eugenix farm house had staff that would attend to your every whim and need. Apart from a chef being on hand all hours there was the ever-faithful Sudhir who would spray down the grafts every evening when I returned from a day in surgery and was at my beck and call if ever I needed anything no matter how small. The selflessness and care from Sudhir was overwhelming and was consistent with that of every single member of the Eugenix team across the board.

 

Another morning and again that ‘bottomless breakfast’ was served! After gaining another 10kg’s I was again driven to Eugenix on day four and today Dr Pradeep and Dr Shisher were examining my chest in search for suitable chest hair grafts that would match and serve to be utilized as a filler in the crown along with scalp and beard grafts. This was yet again another long day. Up until now, everything in terms of pain management had been smooth sailing. I had never once felt any pain as at any time you could stop to request more anesthesia. I generally also have quite a high pain threshold anyway. However, due to the almost 30 hours of concentration, I found mental fatigue starting to set in and becoming a little bit of an issue for me. It was today that I would begin to ask for a little bit more of anesthesia than I had prior. Nevertheless I was determined to push on and to see this through for however long it would take. I decided to let go of counting the tally of grafts being taken and just put all of my attention into the job at hand. By the end of this day however we had a combined total of 7,853 grafts and of those I was delighted that 3,190 were from the scalp! Dr Pradeep had told me that despite my poor scalp donor he was hoping that we could harvest somewhere between 3,000 – 3,500 scalp grafts. The man just never failed to deliver! As I looked up on the large TV screen playing a loop of modern Hindi music, I saw a face that looked familiar. It was the chap I was chatting to the night before around the fire at the Eugenix farm house with who had just completed his surgery. When I returned back to the Eugenix farm house that night I met a few other patients from the UK, USA and from elsewhere. We gathered around the fire and chatted and I couldn’t help but tell them about all the horror stories that abound in the hair transplant world and just how lucky they were to have chosen Eugenix for there first procedure. A couple of these guys told me that they had considered Turkey due to location, price, etc, but had changed their minds. We later went inside and had a few games of table tennis and MORE FOOD! The night was becoming another late one so after Sudhir sprayed down my grafts and ensured that I had taken all the required meds he literally ‘tucked me into bed’ to ensure that my head was resting in the best possible way to protect the grafts.

 

I awoke to day five, the final day (or so I thought)! That morning I had decided to shave off my moustache as it was beginning to become quite itchy. Again in surgery, more grafts were scored and extracted from my chest and transplanted into the crown area. I now knew that we were so close to the finish line I could almost smell it! I told Dr Shisher that he was welcome to extract some grafts from my moustache. Dr Shisher replied no as it would be too painful and to leave it. Dr Pradeep came in not long after and saw that I had shaved off my moustache. He looked at me with a curious look on his face. He asked me why I had shaved off my ‘tash’ and I told him it was just getting too itchy. I could then hear him chatting with Dr Shisher and I could sense something new was being discussed. Dr Pradeep then told me that my moustache would make for a great filler in the crown to gain more density so it was an easy agreement for me. I wasn’t concerned about any perceived pain by this stage. I had waited for two years and travelled a long way to get the best results that I could by whatever means possible. With the vibrating pressure the anesthesia was no different to any other part of my body. It wasn’t pain that I now had to battle but mental fatigue. As Dr Pradeep and then Dr Shisher scored out and extracted beard grafts they were then placed into more premade slits in the crown. At the end of the day I was elated. We had cracked the 8,000 graft count mark! We had achieved 8,491 grafts. More than I could believe would be possible with what I had for Eugenix to work with! After a great back and arm massage from the techs I was beyond happy. After being sprayed down and cleaned up I was taken to the photo booth for the ‘after’ photos to be taken just as the ‘before’ photos  had been taken on day one prior to surgery. That night I had achieved the unachievable after 37 long years. I was elated and after another ‘HUGE MEAL’ Sudhir sprayed down my grafts, got out the meds for me and ensured that I was set up in bed in the best possible position to prevent any grafts from being dislodged. It was now no longer just grafts on top of my head to contend with. It was the over 2,500 plus grafts that now resided in my crown that required protection. That night I was physically and mentally spent.

 

The next morning yep you guessed it. Another HUGE BREAKFAST! I was up fairly early and after showering, etc, Dr Pradeep and I took a walk around the magnificent gardens of the Eugenix farm house. We chatted and joked during a lap of the farm and then Dr Pradeep said we need to go back to Eugenix for one last day! Day six! Dr Pradeep had been thinking about one of my early requests (if it was at all possible) and that was to fill in my old donor scars with hair grafts. Despite the SMP being there to cover my old donor scars, Dr Pradeep was still not content. So off we both drove again to Eugenix. In the theatre both Dr Shiser and Dr Pradeep both discussed the matter and though I couldn’t understand them, I could sense that the conversation was around donor source. The amount of grafts taken by Dr Pradeep had so far ensured that donor management was as much of a priority as was gaining full coverage. Dr Pradeep then turned to me and asked me to lower my pants!! 8-0 Both he and Dr Shisher examined my pubic hair and said it was probably the strongest donor area on my entire body!!! Who am I to argue I thought and as embarrassing as it may sound I thought well if it means we can fill the old donor scars in with grafts from ‘down stairs’ then let’s do it! From the pubic region Dr Shisher was able to harvest 232 grafts!!! I then had to have slits made in the old donor scars carried out. I had lost track of time on this sixth and final day and I was really being stretched to the end of my endurance. I was just a dead weight lying prone on the table as two techs went to work and inserted the last of the grafts into the donor scars. At some point I could feel the anesthesia starting to wear off, but I was on a mission, and I knew that I was literally at the finish line to having all my surgical goals completed. I asked one of the techs how many more grafts were their left to be placed in the donor scars? I was told 23. I was running on pre adrenaline now and rather than stop and wait to have more anesthesia injected I said just keep going. I counted every one of those pubic grafts planted into my donor scars as they went in and I felt them too! I just bit down hard as I counted them down. When the last implanter could no longer be heard I knew it was over. I wanted to get up but I was told to remain lying still on the table as they wanted to ensure that the grafts were firmly in place. It was like a huge weight of 37 years of plugs, scars, wigs and ink had finally been lifted from me. I could see my reflection in the window to my left and I could feel tears welling up. But these were not tears of sadness but tears of just sheer pure joy. Physically I felt as though I had gone 10 rounds with all my heavy weight demons and at the final bell, I had come out victorious on top. Dr Pradeep was singing, fist pumping and high fiving! The end tally was now 8,723 grafts. Anymore grafts and we would have needed a bigger white board!!

 

In closing none of this would have been able to have been made possible if it were not for the Hair Restoration Network. This forum and its members have become like a brotherhood to me. I would like to thank everyone for there love and support and I hope that my experience can in some way help others and let them know that things can be made possible by the support of others. I began this thread on stating how Eugenix made me feel like a rock star when I arrived in India. However the true rock stars are Dr Pradeep and Dr Arika, Dr Shishir, Winnie, Surya, Satyam, Kabul, Aklhilesh, Shushant, Sudhir, Mohindar, Jeldah, Yash, Pradeek, Anil, Raman, Muddha and everyone else associated with Eugenix. From my experience with Dr Pradeep all I can say is that if you had three great mates then Dr Pradeep would be two of them!

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_8584.jpg

IMG_8609.jpg

IMG_8663.jpg

IMG_8679.jpg

IMG_8604.jpg

IMG_8607.jpg

IMG_8626.jpg

IMG_8657.jpg

IMG_8675.jpg

IMG_8685.jpg

IMG_8688.jpg

IMG_8689.jpg

IMG_8690.jpg

IMG_8697.jpg

IMG_8656.jpg

S P E E C H L E S S... get ready for this thread to become the most talked about thread in HT universe

Glad for you brother.. your years of patience and anguish finally paid off...

The funs starts now.. perhaps this time next year you can co-star with one of Dr pradeeps actor patients in a bollywood flick once the mane is all grown out :)

happy for you.. best of luck

  • Like 7
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Absolutely delighted for you @Gatsby...and a huge well done to Master Sethi and his long standing team of dedicated assistants .

I find myself asking from time to time if youre in a difficult situation where you think you might be to far advanced to have a HT because you’re a NW 6/7 and you consider yourself to have a weak or below average donor...why would you consult anywhere else but Eugenix  ??

it’s a little bit of a no brainer tbh..

”where other clinics might see problems Eugenix see solutions “...

 

God bless you mate ...so so happy for you .

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Valued Contributor
8 minutes ago, Zoomster said:

”where other clinics might see problems Eugenix see solutions “...

Absolutely @Zoomster. With the huge number of challenges that my case presented I knew that only Eugenix would be able to break them all down and to find a way to solve them.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
4 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

Absolutely @Zoomster. With the huge number of challenges that my case presented I knew that only Eugenix would be able to break them all down and to find a way to solve them.

There are plenty of truly gifted doctors out there but I believe in your particular case you absolutely went to the very best ...now is the hardest part. .....PATIENCE !! 😊

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member

I had the great pleasure to share dinner with Mr. "Gatsby" and Dr. Sethi at the farm house and share our stories around the camp fire ! Gatsby forgot to mention how he pretty much rocked everyone in table tennis lol.. I too was there for hair transplantation procedure during that time. Gatsby is not kidding they treated me like i was the most important patient they ever had. It will be difficult for me to return to the USA and no longer be spoiled. During my trip there I found out that Eugenix is more then just hair transplantation clinic, they also live by a beautiful spiritual philosophy and that most of the money they make is used to build school for the children of India. Gatsby Man you had gone through everything to battle your baldness I was blessed to meet you and be there to witness your great success and Joy in this new chapter of your life. I really do hope you start a YouTube channel to help others. Soon I too will be providing my personal experience and updates on this forum regarding my hair transplant with Eugenix.  Can't wait to see our results !

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Valued Contributor
8 minutes ago, JP34567 said:

I had the great pleasure to share dinner with Mr. "Gatsby" and Dr. Sethi at the farm house and share our stories around the camp fire ! Gatsby forgot to mention how he pretty much rocked everyone in table tennis lol.. I too was there for hair transplantation procedure during that time. Gatsby is not kidding they treated me like i was the most important patient they ever had. It will be difficult for me to return to the USA and no longer be spoiled. During my trip there I found out that Eugenix is more then just hair transplantation clinic, they also live by a beautiful spiritual philosophy and that most of the money they make is used to build school for the children of India. Gatsby Man you had gone through everything to battle your baldness I was blessed to meet you and be there to witness your great success and Joy in this new chapter of your life. I really do hope you start a YouTube channel to help others. Soon I too will be providing my personal experience and updates on this forum regarding my hair transplant with Eugenix.  Can't wait to see our results !

JP I didn't realize this was you. What an incredible night that was! Wishing you the best results!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Valued Contributor

Awesome write up Gatsby! Really pleased for you and can't wait to follow your progress. I found the first 6 weeks flew by for me and I can't believe it's been over two months already. Those 37 years will feel like nothing in just a few short months!

All the best mate :)

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Good God - that was the most epic thread ever @Gatsby!!!!! 60 hours in surgery!! What a journey! and almost 9k in grafts!!!! That's absolutely insane! That is a testament to your mental fortitude and determination! I was pretty much done after only two long days!! I gotta say that you look pretty good in the outpatient pics. Everything looks clean and you look like you could go another round of surgery!

Really happy for you, brother.....this is going to be one hell of a ride in the coming months as we all see the growth unfold and you are going to be the new face for Eugenix and their incredible clinic. 

5 hours ago, Gatsby said:

h Muddah, Raman, Yash, Pradeek and Aditya.

5 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Winnie, Surya, Satyam, Kabul, Aklhilesh, Shushant, Sudhir, Mohindar, Jeldah, Yash, Pradeek, Anil,

There are so many people involved at Eugenix. It's lovely that you took the time to get all of their names down as they all form the real experience of the clinic. It's easy to just gloss over them but you took the time to actually get the spellings of their names and I think that's awesome!

 

5 hours ago, Gatsby said:

the other was Dr Vinita or ‘Winnie’ who was involved in my surgery and I must admit was very ‘easy on the eyes’ to say the least!

A Eugenix romance in blossom? Wedding bells at the Farmhouse? Dr. Pradeep as a best man? Stay tuned, folks...

 

5 hours ago, Gatsby said:

As I looked up on the large TV screen playing a loop of modern Hindi music, I saw a face that looked familiar. It was the chap I was chatting to the night before around the fire at the Eugenix farm house with who had just completed his surgery. When I returned back to the Eugenix farm house that night I met a few other patients from the UK, USA

That's fantastic. Many of us on this forum know (or have experienced) the sense of community that Eugenix fosters - it really sets them apart from any other clinic. 

 

3 hours ago, Gatsby said:

During my trip there I found out that Eugenix is more then just hair transplantation clinic, they also live by a beautiful spiritual philosophy and that most of the money they make is used to build school for the children of India

Dr. Pradeep emphasizes love as the guiding principle for approaching all things in life. We truly live in a bubble here in the West compared to India when it comes to deprivation. This was a beautiful bit of info to pass along...thanks for letting us know that.

@Gatsbythanks for the instantly infamous review! We all know how much you have been through in your hairloss journey. Really looking forward to the next phase for you...

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I have been a lurker on this forum for a while. However, I just want to say how moving and inspiring your journey has been. I could not wish for a more successful outcome for you and have been cheering you on from the sidelines! As a fellow Norwood 6/7, you have given me faith that there is hope, such that I'll be making the Eugenix leap at the start of March. I will be watching this thread with excitement!    

Edited by Bandit90
  • Like 5
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member

Amazing story Gatsby, and eloquently delivered to all our readers. Well done.

Sensational work from the Eugenix team. Credit to them.

Your patience over the years is commendable, Gatsby.  The courage, strength, determination, and sheer will power, towards the end of 6 gruelling days, when the tank was on empty physically and emotionally-well that is just pure stuff of legends. 

The brilliant work done on you is fit for a legend, so congratulations, mate, you deserved it. 

All the best on this new road, i'll also be keeping track of your progress......

Cheers.

Andy.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Haha! Good call on Dr Pradeep getting a little crown work done and going with the non-shave option!🤣 We're gonna need to see some before and after pictures there as well!🤪

The magic the Eugenix team has bestowed on you will be nothing short of life changing! With all that you do for everyone in this community, you have the support of so many, myself included. I'm so excited just as everyone else is on this forum, to witness this incredible transformation my friend. 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Gatsby, you're an easy dude to root for man. Best of luck.

I don't think I've ever seen pubes used though lol. I've got a forest down there man, same with my ass hair... The only problem is that my hair is straight as hell so BHT would never work for me 

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

WOW...Your story and write up is absolutely incredible @Gatsby...I'm floored; when it's all grown out, you ought to write a book about your journey!

On another note, I think I want to move to India and work at Eugenix. I love the love and humility in which everyone seems to operate.

Sending you only positive thoughts and well wishes for amazing growth. We are all rooting for you and following your progress closely.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Adrian, thank you for sharing such a genuine review. I want to say that I know some were saying I got preferential treatment based on me being a moderator here, but you received the same treatment, even better I believe. I think it’s a testament to Dr. Sethi’s philosophy of giving. 

This will go down as one, if not the most epic transformations this community has ever seen. It’s seriously baffling to see how much hair you got with what you had available. Happy growing mate. 

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...