In-person consultation doubts

[Harry2]

My post here is not about a specific question but to share my experience with one of the most recommended clinics here on this forum.

After an online consultation which led me to understand the result of HT for me will be medium since I'm 5NW (on my way to 6NW) and the donor area is weak, I booked a flight for in-person consultation.

The consultation performed by the manager of the clinic (not the doctor himself), same as the online consultation was.  The reason is "the doctor is busy with surgeries and don't do consultations". However, the clinic said is good that I came for a face-to-face consultation because my donor is good and not weak like they thought according to photos and a video call, and bottom line the result will be good. I still need two sessions like they said during the first online consultation but the density will be better, the area they can cover will be larger etc

Is the first consultation I had and I have no experience with that so I don't know if the meeting was ok.

Like I wrote, the consultation was with the clinic manager and not the doctor (the doctor came for 5 minutes in the end), no microscop whatsoever was used for examination my hair/grafts and it was only by his eyes (without any tool) of the manager.

The most significant thing I afraid of is lateral humps drop (now this part is pretty high) and wider crown than today. When I share my thoughts about that the answer was the clinic knows how to manage the donor area carefully and leave grafts for a rainy day (3rd session somewhere in future). I don't know why they didn't examined these grafts (it looks miniatuirzed already so I pretty sure this hair [class 6 area, and lateral humps] will be gone). When the doctor met me he said I'm still young (33 y/o) but his answer for my question "so maybe is better to wait?" was no need.

I came especially for a meeting but in the end met not the doctor but another person, and feel like this meeting was only "consultation" and not "examination". Only two eyes and a hair brush (to see donor density) and a lot of "don't worry, we know our work/know how to manage your donor".

This is how in-person consultation is? 

It is not important what is the clinic is, but is realy recommended one here in the platform, so I asked myself what do I missing...? What those recommendations based on?

[civic]

Before booking a flight, did you confirm who will do consult?  It's always good idea to have an in depth evaluation in local reputable clinic, they usualy chrage fee,  $75-200 is worth it to know if you are a good ht candidate . (ask them over phone: will they do proper exam? ) . I did that in my city, and only after that ,  traveled out of state for ht surgen of my choice.

[Harry2]

6 minutes ago, civic said:

Before booking a flight, did you confirm who will do consult?  It's always good idea to have an in depth evaluation in local reputable clinic, they usualy chrage fee,  $75-200 is worth it to know if you are a good ht candidate . (ask them over phone: will they do proper exam? ) . I did that in my city, and only after that ,  traveled out of state for ht surgen of my choice.

I did. The clinic told me the manager will do the consult and the doctor will join in the middle, but it was really at the end and the feeling they gave me is all the questions should be point to the manager who is the authority, and the doctor will just.. I don't know, something else.

About your idea, sorry, but what is the point of meeting another doctor? Don't you think different doctors different evaulations?

[civic]

15 minutes ago, Harry2 said:

I did. The clinic told me the manager will do the consult and the doctor will join in the middle, but it was really at the end and the feeling they gave me is all the questions should be point to the manager who is the authority, and the doctor will just.. I don't know, something else.

About your idea, sorry, but what is the point of meeting another doctor? Don't you think different doctors different evaulations?

Not realy, the most important was to check if there is no dupa, retro, etc. Any reputable doc shlould be able to notice that from lense.  The doc from out of state did see my online photos, & quoted # of grafts.  i just wanted to be 100% certain that my donor is good to go before traveling far .

[Harry2]

11 minutes ago, civic said:

Not realy, the most important was to check if there is no dupa, retro, etc. Any reputable doc shlould be able to notice that from lense.  The doc from out of state did see my online photos, & quoted # of grafts.  i just wanted to be 100% certain that my donor is good to go before traveling far .

So I didn't do that but go to traveling far especially for evaulation in addition the online.

I think the meeting should check all these things you mentioned you did at the local clinic. Like I wrote in the beginning, it wasn't like that. No lense, no microscopic tool, only two eyes, few fingers to touch my hair.. and a hair brush. 🤷‍♂️

[Melvin- Admin]

Not all doctors have microscopic tools before the consultation. It's always a good idea to ask what the consultation will entail. If your donor will be checked microscopically, etc. If you don't feel confident with this doctor don't go. That's my advice. 

[Alphaone]

Which clinic?

[NARMAK]

I'm going to approach this another way. I personally feel in this day and age, EVERY reputable clinic should be doing an in depth clinical assessment using microscopic tools to evaluate the hair density of an individual as well as where there's areas of actual miniaturisation etc. that could be helped and give a prospective patient a proper evaluation in black and white with images. 

It doesn't matter if the consultation is done by a trained technician VS a Doctor in terms of the raw numbers etc. if its done properly but then a doctor can review the data more accurately to come up with a proper plan at the end. 

Dr Bisanga is probably one of the few people/clinics via BHR that goes as in depth as they can and i actually really am always impressed by that attention to detail. For as much of an artistic field that hair transplants are, they're also highly steeped in technical and science based practice. So it doesn't make sense to leave that out as such imo crucial part og hair management. Not to mention hair transplants aren't exactly cheap either from almost any reputable clinic. 

I understand if it had to become a slightly paid for service for people who want to know their hair loss situation and are considering a hair transplant which is why you could try to price it reasonably and i do genuinely think people would come. 

Maybe i'm being naive and the money for the equipments super pricey and they can't do it cheap enough, so that's why they do it visually and for less money, but it's not a great way either. 

[HappyMan2021]

6 hours ago, Harry2 said:

share my experience with one of the most recommended clinics here on this forum.

so was it Konior or Eugenix? 🤣

Seriously though, you should really mention the name of the clinic. It benefits us all and advances our cause of transparency and patient advocacy. 

Reviews are worthless if no one knows who you are talking about.

[shadowcast]

I'm not an expert, but I can't imagine a reputable clinic not using a scope during consultation. I doubt it's possible to get an idea of how many singles/doubles/triples/etc. you have with the naked eye. Not sure it's possible to determine hair calibre with the naked eye. Not to mention current miniaturization and scalp condition.

[shiba1985]

3 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

so was it Konior or Eugenix? 🤣

Seriously though, you should really mention the name of the clinic. It benefits us all and advances our cause of transparency and patient advocacy. 

Reviews are worthless if no one knows who you are talking about.

Konior doesn't use a rep and does all his own consults that easily last an hour. doubt it was him

[Harry2]

17 hours ago, NARMAK said:

I'm going to approach this another way. I personally feel in this day and age, EVERY reputable clinic should be doing an in depth clinical assessment using microscopic tools to evaluate the hair density of an individual as well as where there's areas of actual miniaturisation etc. that could be helped and give a prospective patient a proper evaluation in black and white with images. 

It doesn't matter if the consultation is done by a trained technician VS a Doctor in terms of the raw numbers etc. if its done properly but then a doctor can review the data more accurately to come up with a proper plan at the end. 

Dr Bisanga is probably one of the few people/clinics via BHR that goes as in depth as they can and i actually really am always impressed by that attention to detail. For as much of an artistic field that hair transplants are, they're also highly steeped in technical and science based practice. So it doesn't make sense to leave that out as such imo crucial part og hair management. Not to mention hair transplants aren't exactly cheap either from almost any reputable clinic. 

I understand if it had to become a slightly paid for service for people who want to know their hair loss situation and are considering a hair transplant which is why you could try to price it reasonably and i do genuinely think people would come. 

Maybe i'm being naive and the money for the equipments super pricey and they can't do it cheap enough, so that's why they do it visually and for less money, but it's not a great way either. 

Sounds correct since the evaulation was pro bono. Even though the price per graft is not cheap and the clinic consider recommended by the forum.

 

[Harry2]

19 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Not all doctors have microscopic tools before the consultation. It's always a good idea to ask what the consultation will entail. If your donor will be checked microscopically, etc. If you don't feel confident with this doctor don't go. That's my advice. 

During the evaulation I asked the manager (again, manager, not a doctor or another person who involved in the medical procedure) if he has microscopic tool and he show me some tool on his desk but said that no need to use it (he considered a person with more than 20 years of experience in thar field. He own the clinic).

[Melvin- Admin]

3 minutes ago, Harry2 said:

During the evaulation I asked the manager (again, manager, not a doctor or another person who involved in the medical procedure) if he has microscopic tool and he show me some tool on his desk but said that no need to use it (he considered a person with more than 20 years of experience in thar field. He own the clinic).

Well, I’ve had many consultations like that before as well. Some doctors that are very experienced, feel they can tell with their own eyes. Like I said if you’re not comfortable don’t choose them. 

[Harry2]

15 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

was it Konior or Eugenix? 🤣

12 hours ago, shiba1985 said:

Konior doesn't use a rep and does all his own consults that easily last an hour. doubt it was him

Neither of them.

The clinic is a eurpean one, and I don't mentioned which because I don't want to "talk bad" about specific place but to share my doubts and thoughts