Dr. Bisanga or Dr. Mwamba?

[Moto]

Hello good people,

my journey started about 2 years ago and I have seen quite a few surgeons and narrowed it down to either Dr. Bisanga or Dr. Mwamba.

 

My current situation is the following: I am 31 years old, a norwood 4, starting norwood 5. My donor area is very weak with an average of 60 grafts / cm². I am blonde so aparently there is still a little bit of hope because a good result requires less density than for people with darker hair. However, my hairline has to be on the higher end. Also, if the hairloss continues and my scalp goes completely bald I am basically screwed. I started taking medication (oral minox + topcial dutasteride). I have about 4000-4500 grafts available with FUE.

 

I went and got a personal consultation with Dr. Mwamba and Dr. Bisanga and I would like to share my thoughts and impressions.

 

Dr. Mwamba:

Staff:

I was there with my girlfriend and the staff was very caring. They took pictures of me in a small room and I almost got a panic attack because I suffer from claustrophobia but they treated me very kindly and I think noone noticed.

Doctor & Consultation:

Then we went to the doctors office and we got to meet Dr. Mwamba. He was just incredible. He took a lot of time and exact measurements of my head. It took him surprisingly long to draw the hairline but I immediately liked his suggestion. After that he procceded and drew the entire recipent area very detailed onto my scalp. He even advised to put a few grafts on the frontal sides for a perfect result and drew that too.

He took the time to explain everything in detail, also regarding medication and how it works. I got a lesson about hairloss and he showed me my dead and weakened hair folicules with the camera. 

He ended up suggesting 2 surgeries, the second one ideally a fear years later. Once we have a first result with a nice hairline and we know if the medication is working I could come in whenever I feel like I want a second treatment.

For now he wants to do 2600 grafts which is quite a low amount in my opinion. I immediatly asked for 3000 (that's what other Doctors suggested) and he does not see a reason because of my blonde hair and my weak donor. However, he would improve the number of grafts if needed.

The procedure is split into 3 sessions, each 10-12 hours. That's an awfully long amount of time and I am not sure if I can do it. The main problem for me is having to sit there for DAYS and not being able to move or leave.

Clinic:

I didn't see alot of it but it's not fancy and not as modern as some other places.

 

Dr. Bisanga:

First of all: I had to wait about 30 minutes because Dr. Bisanga was late. No big deal but it felt like he was in a hurry during the consultation, more down below.

Staff:

We got offered a drink and the staff was very friendly.

Doctor and Consultation:

Dr. Bisanga is a little different than Dr. Mwamba. He didn't have much time and got right to my head. He took measures, cut some hair down so his camera got better pictures, told me that my donor was weak and I would have to pray to not lose any more hair. He could perform a surgery but if the hairloss continued I should just shave it off... LOL.

He took FUT into account and told me that we would have roughly arround 500 to 1000 more grafts if we perform a combination of FUE + FUT. Alternatively I would need two FUE surgeries, the second one about 6 months after the first one (if I want a perfect result). 

For FUE only he would start with 3000 grafts in one session. 

I asked him for advice regarding the 2 different options and he just said: "It's your head, you decide"... not exactly the answer I was hoping for.

He didn't take much time for the hairline design and basically just drew a line. The hight was similar to Dr. Mwamba, maybe a tiny bit higher. 

He then told me to take medication but didn't explain how it worked like Dr. Mwamba did. To be fair, he asked me if I had questions and I said no.

The whole process took about 15 minutes max.

Clinic:

Very well designed, very clean and modern. The tools he used to scan my head were top notch and I have not seen such a high standard in any other clinic. Parking is also very good (just in front of the elevator).

 

 

Summary:

The consultation from Dr. Mwamba was leagues above Dr. Bisangas.

However, Dr. Bisanga is an amazing surgeon, the clinic looks more modern and the procedure is done in 1 day. I appreciate people who don't talk too much but I was expecting a little more input or suggestions.

I am wondering if Dr. Mwamba is the better choice for long term treatment, since he seems to care quite a lot about his patients and their wishes. 2600 grafts are just a little low imo, especially after Dr. Bisanga also suggested 3000. I also don't think I can do surgery 3 days in a row.

 

With Dr. Bisanga I feel more like a customer than a patient. Also, will I have a choice regarding the hairline if I go with Dr. Bisanga? 

 

Are there any people who were in a similar situation and can maybe explain what influenced their decision?

 

Thank you guys!

 

 

 

 

[Dillpickle123]

53 minutes ago, Moto said:

Hello good people,

my journey started about 2 years ago and I have seen quite a few surgeons and narrowed it down to either Dr. Bisanga or Dr. Mwamba.

 

My current situation is the following: I am 31 years old, a norwood 4, starting norwood 5. My donor area is very weak with an average of 60 grafts / cm². I am blonde so aparently there is still a little bit of hope because a good result requires less density than for people with darker hair. However, my hairline has to be on the higher end. Also, if the hairloss continues and my scalp goes completely bald I am basically screwed. I started taking medication (oral minox + topcial dutasteride). I have about 4000-4500 grafts available with FUE.

 

I went and got a personal consultation with Dr. Mwamba and Dr. Bisanga and I would like to share my thoughts and impressions.

 

Dr. Mwamba:

Staff:

I was there with my girlfriend and the staff was very caring. They took pictures of me in a small room and I almost got a panic attack because I suffer from claustrophobia but they treated me very kindly and I think noone noticed.

Doctor & Consultation:

Then we went to the doctors office and we got to meet Dr. Mwamba. He was just incredible. He took a lot of time and exact measurements of my head. It took him surprisingly long to draw the hairline but I immediately liked his suggestion. After that he procceded and drew the entire recipent area very detailed onto my scalp. He even advised to put a few grafts on the frontal sides for a perfect result and drew that too.

He took the time to explain everything in detail, also regarding medication and how it works. I got a lesson about hairloss and he showed me my dead and weakened hair folicules with the camera. 

He ended up suggesting 2 surgeries, the second one ideally a fear years later. Once we have a first result with a nice hairline and we know if the medication is working I could come in whenever I feel like I want a second treatment.

For now he wants to do 2600 grafts which is quite a low amount in my opinion. I immediatly asked for 3000 (that's what other Doctors suggested) and he does not see a reason because of my blonde hair and my weak donor. However, he would improve the number of grafts if needed.

The procedure is split into 3 sessions, each 10-12 hours. That's an awfully long amount of time and I am not sure if I can do it. The main problem for me is having to sit there for DAYS and not being able to move or leave.

Clinic:

I didn't see alot of it but it's not fancy and not as modern as some other places.

 

Dr. Bisanga:

First of all: I had to wait about 30 minutes because Dr. Bisanga was late. No big deal but it felt like he was in a hurry during the consultation, more down below.

Staff:

We got offered a drink and the staff was very friendly.

Doctor and Consultation:

Dr. Bisanga is a little different than Dr. Mwamba. He didn't have much time and got right to my head. He took measures, cut some hair down so his camera got better pictures, told me that my donor was weak and I would have to pray to not lose any more hair. He could perform a surgery but if the hairloss continued I should just shave it off... LOL.

He took FUT into account and told me that we would have roughly arround 500 to 1000 more grafts if we perform a combination of FUE + FUT. Alternatively I would need two FUE surgeries, the second one about 6 months after the first one (if I want a perfect result). 

For FUE only he would start with 3000 grafts in one session. 

I asked him for advice regarding the 2 different options and he just said: "It's your head, you decide"... not exactly the answer I was hoping for.

He didn't take much time for the hairline design and basically just drew a line. The hight was similar to Dr. Mwamba, maybe a tiny bit higher. 

He then told me to take medication but didn't explain how it worked like Dr. Mwamba did. To be fair, he asked me if I had questions and I said no.

The whole process took about 15 minutes max.

Clinic:

Very well designed, very clean and modern. The tools he used to scan my head were top notch and I have not seen such a high standard in any other clinic. Parking is also very good (just in front of the elevator).

 

 

Summary:

The consultation from Dr. Mwamba was leagues above Dr. Bisangas.

However, Dr. Bisanga is an amazing surgeon, the clinic looks more modern and the procedure is done in 1 day. I appreciate people who don't talk too much but I was expecting a little more input or suggestions.

I am wondering if Dr. Mwamba is the better choice for long term treatment, since he seems to care quite a lot about his patients and their wishes. 2600 grafts are just a little low imo, especially after Dr. Bisanga also suggested 3000. I also don't think I can do surgery 3 days in a row.

 

With Dr. Bisanga I feel more like a customer than a patient. Also, will I have a choice regarding the hairline if I go with Dr. Bisanga? 

 

Are there any people who were in a similar situation and can maybe explain what influenced their decision?

 

Thank you guys!

 

 

 

 

Trust your gut, do you have pictures of your current hair rn? Both of these surgeons are great 👍 I had mine recently with Dr mwamba and he does like to split the surgery’s through several days, I only had 2k grafts and I was in the chair 2 days but it wasn’t bad at all just watched tv, slept but I could see how some people would prefer to be in the chair one day and that’s it but can’t complain about the treatment by the staff very kind and informative now just waiting on the results! 

[Melvin- Admin]

I think it’s a difference of personalities. Dr. Bisanga is a straight shooter, very direct, he doesn’t beat around the bush. Dr. Mwamba is very engaging and speaks to his patients for a long time, almost to a fault. Both are incredible surgeons, so you could flip a coin and get a good result. I would trust your instincts. 

[ITA]

They are both excellent surgeons, just look at the results on this forum, I like Bisanga better, but as others say, trust your instincts, you will definitely not go wrong.

[davidn]

First of all, its a good step that you go for in-person consultations. You do the right thing. Personally I would wait a year on the meds, you gather more data about its efficacy for you, instead of doing a surgery and praying. Also, would you be able to show some pictures of your donor? Really interested how blonde low-density donor looks like (and compare to mine). If not, no worries, respect your privacy!

 

 

[Mike10]

In terms surgical skills I do not think there is much between them. 

On the consultations, I can confirm your impression from personal experience. At the end Bisanga told you what needs to be told. needs Then it is the patient's decision if he wants to proceed regardless.  

[HappyMan2021]

12 hours ago, Moto said:

3 sessions, each 10-12 hours.

Why would it take 3 days? 2600 can be done in 1 day, 2 at the very most, and 2 days is stretching it. 

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by HappyMan2021

[Hairy Henderson]

26 minutes ago, HappyMan2021 said:

Why would it take 3 days? 2600 can be done in 1 day, 2 at the very most, and 2 days is stretching it. 

 

Yep, 3 days seems insane

[davidn]

Personally I would favor the surgeon who takes a lot of time for consultation, is trying to understand your goals etc. But obviously Bisanga is a top-notch choice.

 

PS: Really liked that he told you that if hair loss progresses, to shave it off. Very ethical!

Edited December 11, 2022 by davidn

[A Fue Good Men]

Off results only, bisanga. I feel like Mwamba has gotten a bunch of hype lately because of one specific patient that prolifically posts about him

[BaldingtimetoLdar]

Bisanga, I mean just look at his results in this forum.

[HappyMan2021]

@Moto do you live in Brussels, or how did you end up having in-person consults with both Bisanga and Mwamba? Kind of a rare feat. 

I would say Bisanga and Mwamba may be as close to equal peers as you can get. Both started out roughly the same time, both are very ethical and studious, both are known as elite repair docs, and I believe they are friends in real life. 

Of course there are going to be subtle differences - one may have a nicer office, one might have patients who post more often or less often, and things like that. 

But you really can't go wrong with either of them - they are both elite doctors. 

For what its worth I had a repair with Mwamba in June and am seeing him again in January for a 2nd round. 

[WhereIsMyMind]

I just had surgery with Mwamba and im very happy so far, that said based on objective track history Bisanga should be a safer option.

The main differences is Bisanga is strict in his method, more "professional" (if you want to give it a name) and methodic.

On the other hand, Mwamba is more laid back, listens much more to his patients, and is willing to experiment and reach their goals out of the comfort zone that Bisanga wouldn't. This is both better and worse -- depending on how you handle it.

Soo, its not really better or worse, it depends on your goals, its just different. I choose Mwamba because I wanted more risk/reward in my proccedure and someone who can adapt to my needs and I don't regret it.

For example, I was scheduled to op with De Freitas, which I consider better surgeon, but he was very strict and wasn't willing to put as many grafts as I wanted in first HT, so I chose Mwamba which he did and im very happy so far. 

Edited December 14, 2022 by WhereIsMyMind

[WhereIsMyMind]

On 12/11/2022 at 4:14 PM, HappyMan2021 said:

Why would it take 3 days? 2600 can be done in 1 day, 2 at the very most, and 2 days is stretching it. 

 

Not with Mwamba bruh, my first day was only 770 FUE and took from 9 AM to 10PM 😄

Ngl Mwamba transplants are a marathon and its exhausting, but you can also see from his patients they have the most insane recoveries in recipient/donor because he does it so slow and everything is manual. On the 3rd day he tried to inspect my donor and had issues finding the scars because they were already fully healed.

Edited December 14, 2022 by WhereIsMyMind

[HappyMan2021]

25 minutes ago, WhereIsMyMind said:

Not with Mwamba bruh, my first day was only 770 FUE and took from 9 AM to 10PM 😄

Ngl Mwamba transplants are a marathon and its exhausting, but you can also see from his patients they have the most insane recoveries in recipient/donor because he does it so slow and everything is manual. On the 3rd day he tried to inspect my donor and had issues finding the scars because they were already fully healed.

So your surgery was 3 days? What is the total graft count? 

I had  a 3 day round with mwamba in june and it was 3000 brand new grafts implanted and 600 existing badly angled ones extracted and reimplanted. So 3600 total

I have a 2 day surgery with him in january. I just had my consult yesterday and he said he can do roughly the same graft count in 2 days

We also both still need to find out about this bloody vat refund haha. If you get any more info please report back

Edited December 14, 2022 by HappyMan2021

[WhereIsMyMind]

My surgery was 5 days, every day 10 to 14 hours in the chair, absolute deadly marathon. 6700 graft total (5700 scalp + 1000 beard)

It was like this:

-1st day: design and discussion + 770 graft. (9:00 to 22:00)

- 2nd day: 1100 graft (10:00 to 23:00)

- 3rd day: 1300 graft (11:00 to 2:00)

- 4th day: 1300 graft (11:00 to 2:00)

- 5th day: 1100 graft + 1000 BHT fit farming (12:00 to 6:00 💀💀)

He told me he likes to do this incremental approach to see how the scalp reacts to extractions and insertions, and they learn what works best for you as the time goes by.
I am aware this is brutal and not the norm amongst most doctors. I personally on the boat of "no pain no gain", and that you do this once or twice in your lifetime so it will be worth it. I don't think its funny for Mwamba to do these marathons either, you can clearly see the team exhaustion after the day ends. They work so hard. They are literally crazy. Obviously, the more spread out and slower the trauma, the better healing you should have. The downsides are pain, time and extra anesthesia. Its not for everyone but it worked for me.

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by WhereIsMyMind

[Matt3210]

 Do you think so too, that HappyMan2021, WhereIsMyMind, and mustang are the same person?

[HappyMan2021]

29 minutes ago, Matt3210 said:

 Do you think so too, that HappyMan2021, WhereIsMyMind, and mustang are the same person?

????

[Matt3210]

I could be wrong but without all this writing I think only the results can tell which doctor is better. Not words.

[HappyMan2021]

7 hours ago, WhereIsMyMind said:

- 3rd day: 1300 graft (11:00 to 2:00)

- 4th day: 1300 graft (11:00 to 2:00)

To clarify, is does the 2 here mean 2am?

[WhereIsMyMind]

Yeah

21 hours ago, Matt3210 said:

 Do you think so too, that HappyMan2021, WhereIsMyMind, and mustang are the same person?

If you even read my posts I recommended Bisanga to op lol... Also I said I don't know if my end result will be good but I am very happy so far. Just trying to help ppl out and give info about my experience.

Already regretting sharing my experience with Mwamba... Why is people so paranoid

Mwamba is a scammer. Run!! Botch job alert!!! Leave him all for me 😂😂

Edited December 15, 2022 by WhereIsMyMind

[HappyMan2021]

51 minutes ago, WhereIsMyMind said:

Yeah

Very interesting to me. Even going super slow and meticulous, i don't understand how 1300 grafts is a 13 hour procedure. 

But cool. 

[Matt3210]

20 hours ago, Matt3210 said:

 Do you think so too, that HappyMan2021, WhereIsMyMind, and mustang are the same person?

I admit I rushed this post and didn't think it through.

I'm paranoid? Or do I have reason to be suspicious? We know of one impostor from Dr. Mwamba.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Matt3210

[Ryan Daniel]

Dr. Bisanga

[WhereIsMyMind]

17 minutes ago, HappyMan2021 said:

Very interesting to me. Even going super slow and meticulous, i don't understand how 1300 grafts is a 13 hour procedure. 

But cool. 

Yeah to me it sounds crazy but they didn't really stop extracting and inserting at any moment. I think one of the main reasons my surgery took so long is bc they had to split a lot of grafts under the microscope. I didn't have any single grafts at all.