Dr Bisanga 2197 FUE - UK Patient

[SPMorrissey23]

Where to start? I have looked at forums for the best part of 15 years on and off, looking at peoples stories, seeing if any where similar to mine, but never having any real courage to do something about my own loss despite it having a big impact on my self esteem. I have a wife and 4 beautiful children but not one family photo of us all together due to my own insecurities. 

My temple recession probably started when I was in my mid 20s I’m now mid 40s. Back then  panic sent me online to various forums. I actually met someone locally who had strip surgery with Dr Feller in NY and I drove 2.5 hours in the Uk to meet one of his reps. Nothing came of this as I guess I just wasn’t ready and had things happening in my private life and my career. 

Fast forward 15 years I am now married with 4 kids, mid 40s and thought now was finally the time to address what had always bothered me and looked again at online forums for help. Surprisingly most the clinics that used to dominate most patient threads seemed to have disappeared which surprised me but amongst most of the research one name kept jumping to the top of my list Dr Bisanga. 

I was doing some work in London when he had some consultations and it seemed like the stars had finally aligned for me. By now I was open with my wife who supported me attending so off I went to meet the doc in person. The consultation didn’t last long,  the doctor was pleasant, seemed happy with what I wanted and gave an estimate to assess my temples of 1800-2100 grafts. I made my way home - checked in with wife and booked the surgery for 5 months later (yesterday!!!!)

Before I go into the surgery few things about me which might go against the grain. 1) I don’t take any meds (sounds stupid I know just the commitment and possible sides always put me off) 2) only my wife knows! I’m still deluding myself that I can get away with this without anyone knowing including family and friends. (God knows what the kids will think when I arrive home tomorrow!)  

Throughout the last 15 years everything has felt like a secret including my self esteem issues. Booking this whole things has been secretive (dads gone to Belgium with work) My struggles and worries I am not open about and I’m a natural introvert. Maybe this is a way of still trying to hide? (So why am i sharing now? Who knows?? Maybe to help someone else just like me)

TRAVEL 

Travel to Belgium via Manchester with Brussels airlines was easy enough flight under 2 hours. Despite waiting 1.5 hours to get through arrivals I jumped out of the airport and grabbed the first taxi. A note on taxis in a moment as they can add up in cost. This one cost £62 but by that time I just wanted to get my bag dumped at the hotel ibis which I had booked. 

Despite landing at the IBIS for around 10.00 my pre surgery meet at Dr Bisangas office wasn’t until 16.30 so I slept a little at the hotel before booking a taxi . The driver said it would cost 25euros each time so again if you have to be back and forth between hotel and the Drs office this soon adds up. In hindsight I would of booked at a hotel closer as I understand one hotel is in walking distance. 

After locating the office and navigating the lift I finally made it and sat down in the reception area. When I was called into the Dr’s office I spoke with him for a short while told him I wasn’t on any meds and he drew on a hairline he felt was suitable. I asked for a partial shave which he was fine with as again I wanted to hopefully grow my native hair and comb this over. One of his team then took me to another room to do some bloods and shaved the back of my hair ready for tomorrows surgery. I did look like a bit of a mushroom at this stage but had a cap with me. Taxi back to the hotel, uber eats came direct to my room & an early nights sleep ready for the big day. 

OPERATION 

Arriving at 09.30 at BHR we really didn’t get started until 1 hour later. I changed into a gown at the clinic and we were finally ready to get the show on the road. At this point it was just staff looking after me and although I expected Dr Kostis to assist in surgery I was told he was on holiday  so it was a mixture of Dr Bisanga himself and his team. 

I laid on a side and injections started in the side of my head . Maybe 13/14 of them in the side some more painful then others for me maybe a 7/10 on that threshold. I could feel my head numb immediately . The Dr then entered and did work on the donor (I presume extracting grafts) by this stage I started to feel a little groggy and thought going to sleep was my best way to pass time. The Dr did make further injections to the middle of my head. I know these were from the Dr himself as he wasn’t as gentle as his assistants lol, and then the other side of my head also. From memory the DR did all of the extractions. Note make sure you are in a comfortable position at the start , as you don’t really get the opportunity to move about and at one point I had pins and needles in my shoulder. 

At this point the Dr informed me the graft count would be nearer 2200 but I was a little out of it so didn’t really comprehend and just wanted the surgery over. 

Further injections in the recipient area where made (painful) and the doctor made the appropriate incisions. 

Around this time we broke for lunch, I had beef noodles and chocolate cake and the food was fine. Thinking I was over the worse I then headed back to the hot seat for the graft placement into the recipient area . I was given a remote control and sat near a TV so I could select something of my choosing on Netflix. Two operatives then set about placing grafts, squirting my head at regular intervals along the way. This went on for some time with the Dr popping in a couple of times throughout. Again I drifted in and out and probably woke myself up with me snoring lol. 

At one point the assistant told me I was done , allowed me to get changed and I headed over to reception to discuss some aftercare. Although I spotted the Dr in the corridor he never came over to me to look at the final result which I thought was a little odd although he may have been happy with what he saw when viewing the grafts inserted into the recipient area. 

Heading back to the hotel via taxi I felt fine and a bit in shock of what I’d just gone through after years of back and forth in my mind. I once again order some food via Uber eats and tried to get some sleep .  At one point I woke up and struggled to get back over and sleeping upright for me was a bit of a challenge . 

The next day I had to go back to the office for a post op check up (again taxis back and forth) and Hilde did an amazing job cleaning me up and going through all the relevant potions and lotions. I didn’t see the doctor at this stage but Hilde said everything looked on track and even got there local driver to drop me off at the airport. I did get a prescription for Oral Minoxidle   but again unsure if whether I want to take it. Swelling at this stage had started to drift down my head and it looked like I had a large lump in the middle of my forehead . I had some ice applied at the hotel but I’m guessing that might get worse over the next few days. 

I must point out everyone at BHR including my consultant Ian have been amazing and I wouldn’t think twice about recommending the clinic to anyone else moving forward . 

Graft breakdown 

1 follicular unit - 400 grafts

2 - 913 grafts

3 - 709 grafts

4- 176 grafts 

Total 2197 

Hope to document on here as I go but for now it’s a flight home , bandanna in tow and back to the family.

[Willforhair84]

Amazing native hair in your 40s, this is going to be an awesome result ! 

[duckling]

I don't think you should have clicked just one family photo. In family photo people notice smiles more than hairlines. And you have great hair in mid 40s.

Now coming to the HT work, you have chosen a good surgeon. some of the photos are a little low resolution but work looks clean.

Good luck for result ! 

[Britanium]

Nice write up, work looks good, look forward to the updates ! 

[Raphael84]

Congratulations for completing your surgery and thank you for the kind words. It has been a pleasure and you have our full support as you navigate these next months of healing and then the more enjoyable months of growth.

As a patient myself albeit with a slightly different surgical history and timeline to yourself, I can completely relate in terms of the impact that hair loss presents and the idea of not wanting to have too many photos around. It really shows how despite our age or extent of loss, that hair loss is extremely personal and impacts us all uniquely.

Great write up and documentation and no doubt many forum users will find value in your words and experience which is what the forum is all about.

You can see from your photos how clean the work is and how the design will really impact facial framing and no doubt any concerns with photos will shortly be a thing of the past.

Good look with concealing as much as possible. Once you get past these initial days/week, then with styling, your native hair should be able to cover much of the surface area and as hair length of native hair increases and redness dissipates, then hopefully this will make things easier and growth will not be too far away.

Dr. Bisanga performed all of the punching of extraction sites and cutting of recipient sites, and then as is standard his technicians then placed the grafts.

Whilst Dr. Kostis was initially scheduled to assist with surgery in terms of performing extractions with Dr. Bisanga, Dr. Kostis was invited to a Trichology Congress in Buenos Aires as a guest speaker and to share knowledge with experts in the field, which will only enhance the experience and expertise of Dr. Kostis, and the opportunity for patients over these days to have surgery solely with Dr. Bisanga has also been well received.

I will share clinic images with you shortly and we look forward to following your progress.

Thanks again and wishing you the best.

[Gatsby]

Nice work by BHR. Looking forward to following your results. 👌

[A_4_Archan]

Nice work...you will get a super natural hairline...

[sl]

Thank you sharing and look forwards to the evolution. You also are in great hands with Ian as advisor for sure. 

[JD Jones]

Looking forward to seeing your results,great hair already for mid 40s.

I stayed in the same hotel as you,top tip is to get an Uber over and back to the clinic,only about €10 (all the trips over and back do add up)

Only one day did I have to get a taxi and it was €25.

[SPMorrissey23]

Thanks JD Jones, your case was one I was following before choosing the Dr! 

[JD Jones]

20 hours ago, SPMorrissey23 said:

Thanks JD Jones, your case was one I was following before choosing the Dr! 

Wow! That's cool to hear.

 

[Melvin- Admin]

I foresee another Bisanga home run.

[SPMorrissey23]

Thought I’d update with some post op 7 day pics - let me know what everyone thinks? 

Donor looks in great condition and cannot really tell any work has happened here. 

Be glad to start some of the post op shampooing of recipient today to hopefully remove some of the scabs. 

Swelling lasted 3-4 days and gradually went down from head to face. Sleeping ok upright although urge to scratch in the middle of the night sometimes a worry.

Still keeping it a secret from everyone although the kids are questioning why I have started using a bandanna around the house ….

[Marko7t4]

Looking good mate. People are going to know that you’ve had it done, so just own it and be proud of it. Anyone who was going to take the piss will be stopped in their tracks. 

[SPMorrissey23]

14 day update . Cannot believe it’s 2 weeks since the surgery.

Scabs seemed to fall off after 7 days, doesn’t look like anything has shed yet but I’ll let you guys let me know on how you think it’s going …

Native hair is growing so hoping I can cover at some stage . Pics shows my attempts to cover at the moment 

Getting used to wearing a baseball cap whenever I venture out at the moment 

[SPMorrissey23]

3 weeks in. Not sure if I have entered the shed phase yet but one side does seem to be more sparse than the other.  

Still wearing a cap out of the house, and hoping my native hair will be able to cover the recipient area the more it grows. 

redness continues clinic recommended some Emu oil, but not sure it’s having any effect, I have bought some aloe Vera gel - has anyone any experience in applying that to recipient. 

thoughts welcome.

[Raphael84]

Thanks for the updates and you are doing a pretty effective job at concealment at such an early stage and this should get easier with more recovery and length of native hair.

Your healing timeline looks very good and in terms of redness, it will require some time. Unique factors to each patient will include skin tone and density placed throughout the recipient, but redness is a sign of more blood flow due to the inflammation of surgery which is a positive in terms of "feeding" the newly placed hairs.

Oils such as emu and witch hazel are generally preferred by patients as opposed to a thicker gel like consistency like many aloe vera products available, but by all means use what feels best for you. Be conscious of any alcohol content in many aloe vera gels which you would want to avoid.

Redness will require some time and whilst the application of such oils can be beneficial, use sparingly and less is often more in terms of allowing the scalp and skin a natural environment to recover, and as said it will simply require some time.

I look forward to your next updates.

[Britanium]

Apart from the redness which is expected, you’re healing up well. The redness/pinkness will continue to fade in the coming months/weeks. 

[SPMorrissey23]

About 45 days in now and went for a hair cut this afternoon. Told the hairdresser but I’m still concealing this in public with hats and trying to brush my hair over. I normally sweep to one side but still redness there and that makes it all the more noticeable

Took some of these pics pre cut. Looks like I have shed on one side but not on another - is that common? Should I expect the other side to fall out soon also? 

[SPMorrissey23]

Just over 3 month update 

looks like I’m starting to see some growth albeit one side is more sparse then the other as it’s been from the outset 

managed to conceal everything so far with cap and styling of native hair, so far nobody but my wife knows….

 

Hoping for more growth this next month - appreciate any feedback good bag or ugly

 

 

[A_4_Archan]

@SPMorrissey23

You seems to be coming out of the shedding phase as i can see the transplanted area getting darker ...you will soon see so many hairs poking out all over the area and will start getting good growth from now on...so the real game begins now....

[mxnprettynice]

I understand you might be concerned about one side appearing sparser, but I've seen many cases where one side lags behind but eventually fills in well.

I'm currently two weeks into my own HT journey and can't wait reaching the three-month mark 💯

You're nearing the phase where rapid growth will soon begin. Grow brutha

[SPMorrissey23]

So I am now at 5 months! Things starting to fill in somewhat. Be interesting to know peoples thoughts etc. 

I’ve still to figure out how to get it cut / style it and will probably wait for more growth before I do. 

Early signs are promising though and hopefully more growth in the months ahead . 

[Melvin- Admin]

It's filling in real nice, this isn't even halfway yet.

[mxnprettynice]

@SPMorrissey23 The growth sprout is indeed happening! The density is impressive, and as the hair matures, it will blend seamlessly and lose that frizzy appearance. You're on the right track, buddy!

In the photos, is the hair wet? Why does it appear so spiky?

Edited October 12, 2023 by mxnprettynice