Making a final decision: restoration surgery in south FL

[TheFirst17]

Thrfirst17, if you are not balding and are just trying to improve upon what mother nature gave you, I would think twice before having any kind of hair transplant surgery just to fix the natural shape of your hairline. Save the grafts for a time you might really need them.

You really think I should?
I kind of wanted to fix it for years.
And I can't say what the future holds, but my family doesn't have any MPB in the family line.
And I'd rather have a proper hairline finally.
I'm doing 400 grafts. Via FUE. Which, from what I'm hearing isn't a lot of grafts for the average treatment.

[JustJoe]

total money spent?

I think it is important to mention as well

I think my total was about $30,000-$40,000 or so. It also included a scar revision, which was complex. Also, important is that included 2 hotel nights at the Hilton Hotel in Boca. He's not a "bargin shop" but he is a quality shop. Hope that helps?

[JustJoe]

You're in Boca Raton? Dude it's Alan Bauman (BaumanMedical). I asked about 20 people intimately familiar with hair transplant physicians and repeatedly got one name: Bauman. Went to him 2 years ago and was thrilled. Going back next month. If he did heart surgeries I'd get a new heart just because he's that good.

Ha! Nalts, your transplant was LIVE online wasn't it? I watched Dr. Bauman work on you or was it Greg? LIVE. That was cool!

To me Neograft is like teeth whiting procedure, but takes a little longer. So simple moving grafts. Well, simple for patients

[John P. Cole, MD]

I think it used to be possible to utilize a website like this to find a good physician near your area, but it is far less Germaine today. The value of the Internet is that it forces physicians to adapt to advancements in quality based on patient demand. Patient demand is based on perceptions of quality. Patients perceived poor quality results from plugs many years ago. In the early 90s, some physicians began to develop techniques to avoid these problems while many physicians did not recognize their results produce patient problems. Websites such as this one picked up on these patient complaints years later and prospered as a result. Techniques advanced well beyond this 10 years later, but websites such as this one were still fixated on past year advancements. In other words, when FUE made significant strides in the middle of this past decade, most websites did not recognize the advancement. Websites like physicians tend to lag behind the medical advances. In other words, don't necessarily trust the website. Trust the advancement. Where you find this trust is not known to me because the acceptance of trust by someone else such as the administrator of this website is not easy. Recognize that he has to feel comfortable with the advancement in order to recommend it. How do you feel comfortable with a change in procedures. You have to see them first hand and see the aesthetic advantages. Who has that perceptual advantage every day? Not a website administrator. No! It is only the innovator and the recipient. Most patients will not allow their results to be presented. Most innovators don't have the time to spend efforts in these forums. Thus, patients and administrators usually have to wait for time to influence their opinions.

Regarding Florida, good options and opinions abound. Personally, I feel that today your goal dictates whom you choose. I also feel that many good options exist on this thread. Without knowing specifically what you are looking for, I could not direct you. For instance, if you were looking or a left-handed sinker ball pitcher to get one batter out, you might know who to choose. However, if the same hitter creams a fastball thrown from the right side, you'd not choose him. Good physicians are much the same. Each has their own degree of specialty. It really is up to you to know what you want and then choose the physician.

You can no longer depend to websites such as this to dictate your directions. They are behind the times simply because they are not in the trenches day to day and they do not see the advancements first hand from the patient perspective. They get them retrospectively, which is expected because physicians are the innovators. Websites are merely the reporters.

I'll give you an example. In the spring of 2006 I projected to Spencer Kobren that FUE was going to make a significant advancement in the field of hair restoration surgery. He doubted this based on his interaction with most other physicians, to which no one other than someone such as myself in the trenches could doubt. In the ISHRS practice census of 2008 only 10% of hair restoration surgery procedures were FUE. By the time the 2010 ISHRS practice census came out, 22% of all hair restoration surgery procedures were done by FUE. Break this down further. In 2002 FUE comprised nearly 0 percent of all hair restoration surgery procedures. in other words, websites such as this one are not innovators or prognosticators. They are followers of aesthetics trends. In other words they tend to be 5 to 10 years behind the aesthetic trend. The aesthetic trend is ahead.

Today you are catching the caboose rather than the engine. Take for example the recent promotion of the robot FUE transplant (ARTAS). Why accept an 8% transection rate with only 2.4 hairs per graft when you can take a transection rate of below 3% and 2.9 hair per graft through other means? The answer is simple. You need to dig a bit deeper to catch up. You can't simply expect websites to lead you. It is not their job and they can't be expected to be in the lead. Most physicians are not in the lead role. While this particular website does a great job, they cannot be expected to be at the cutting edge every day. Physicians in the trenches can't do it. Why should you expect a website to be able to do it? Still, we are very grateful for the effort put forth by websites such as this. It remains your responsibility to get on top the data.

Ever heard of lipophilic ATP? Doubt it. You'll not hear much from web administrators, but it's the growing trend in practices such as mine.

[gillenator]

You really think I should?
I kind of wanted to fix it for years.
And I can't say what the future holds, but my family doesn't have any MPB in the family line.
And I'd rather have a proper hairline finally.
I'm doing 400 grafts. Via FUE. Which, from what I'm hearing isn't a lot of grafts for the average treatment.

You may consider getting physically examined by a reputable HT doctor to get a formal diagnosis of MPB or be cleared of having it. Not something to guess at for sure.

[HelpROGER]

No disrespect to Dr. Cole, but when I was first doing my research years ago I read on your website that Spencer Kobren actually introduced you to FUE and he was one of its biggest supporters, according you. When I asked the doctor that I had planned to go to at mhr about that he said that Spencer Kobren was trying to push for FUE for many years but it was just a fad, and since he’s not a doctor he does not know that it is an inferior surgery. He said it was just “marketing”. Now you are saying that Spencer Kobren was not the one who started the push for FUE and that he does not know much about it? I’m confused since you said it was so on your own website. Here is an archived link from your own website. http://web.archive.org/web/200704050...m/fit_new3.htm

If it was not for this website I would have made the worst mistake of my life by going through with surgery with MHR. I learned very little from your website Dr. Cole except that you did FIT hair transplants, sold shampoo and had a bunch of marketing mumbo jumbo on the site too. ( no disrespect)
I think people have to be stupid just to trust the word a doctor who, at least to me makes a lot of confusing claims and contradicts himself a lot. I know Spencer Kobren recommends you, so you must be a great surgeon, but sometimes when I read what you post I wonder if I would feel comfortable having a hair transplant with you, which by the way I was considering. I actually had a consultation with you a few months ago.

[Delphi]

I'll give you an example. In the spring of 2006 I projected to Spencer Kobren that FUE was going to make a significant advancement in the field of hair restoration surgery. He doubted this based on his interaction with most other physicians, to which no one other than someone such as myself in the trenches could doubt. In the ISHRS practice census of 2008 only 10% of hair restoration surgery procedures were FUE. By the time the 2010 ISHRS practice census came out, 22% of all hair restoration surgery procedures were done by FUE. Break this down further. In 2002 FUE comprised nearly 0 percent of all hair restoration surgery procedures. in other words, websites such as this one are not innovators or prognosticators. They are followers of aesthetics trends. In other words they tend to be 5 to 10 years behind the aesthetic trend. The aesthetic trend is ahead.

So Spencer Kobren must be the Nostradamus of prognosticators in the hair transplant world since he introduced you to FUE Dr. Cole. lol This is funny! Ouch!

“The primary advocate for this new technology for ourselves and perhaps Dr. Robert Jones, MD, as well, was Spencer Kobren. While Farrell Mann may have been the primary catylyst amongst the lay public and for Dr. Ray Woods and Dr. Angela Campbell, Spencer Kobren and the bald truth probably had also to do with the entrance of Robert Jones, MD and John Cole, MD into follicular extraction and follicular isolation technique (FUE and FIT respectively).”

Good find HelpRoger!

[gillenator]

Having been researching this field for thirty-one years now, I would like to also add that my observation of Spencer first started out as an uninformed consumer looking into resolve for his own situation dealing with hairloss. It was the profound CORRUPTION in the field of HT surgery that he not only discovered first hand for himself, but also the other patient consumers he interviewed over and over before being compelled to the point of writing his NY Times best seller, "The Bald Truth". That was my observation of him based on his own words and his own actions. He wanted to and STILL to this day wants to educate and point out the discrepencies of the industry and the impact it has on patients world-wide. That is what his radio show was all about also birthed out of NYC, now broadcast on Sirrus satellite stations. I have been on his show several times over the years pointing out the corruption as well.

IMHO, it was never his agenda to promote any surgical techiques like FUE or anything else including Propecia. I think Spencer educated more young men losing their hair to MPB to consider Propecia and NOT SURGERY! His weekly Sunday night shows would almost always start out with a word about Propecia. He and myself were probably the very few who advocated HT surgery to be the last resort! And still feel the same way today in spite of what advances have been made in the field of HT surgery.

The reason some of these online communities are here is because some doctors cannot be trusted any farther than we can throw a brick to Atlanta from DC left-handed!

No offense taken!

[TheFirst17]

Having been researching this field for thirty-one years now, I would like to also add that my observation of Spencer first started out as an uninformed consumer looking into resolve for his own situation dealing with hairloss. It was the profound CORRUPTION in the field of HT surgery that he not only discovered first hand for himself, but also the other patient consumers he interviewed over and over before being compelled to the point of writing his NY Times best seller, "The Bald Truth". That was my observation of him based on his own words and his own actions. He wanted to and STILL to this day wants to educate and point out the discrepencies of the industry and the impact it has on patients world-wide. That is what his radio show was all about also birthed out of NYC, now broadcast on Sirrus satellite stations. I have been on his show several times over the years pointing out the corruption as well.

IMHO, it was never his agenda to promote any surgical techiques like FUE or anything else including Propecia. I think Spencer educated more young men losing their hair to MPB to consider Propecia and NOT SURGERY! His weekly Sunday night shows would almost always start out with a word about Propecia. He and myself were probably the very few who advocated HT surgery to be the last resort! And still feel the same way today in spite of what advances have been made in the field of HT surgery.

The reason some of these online communities are here is because some doctors cannot be trusted any farther than we can throw a brick to Atlanta from DC left-handed!

No offense taken!

Are you saying FUE is not a good procedure? And one shouldn't do it? I'm doing one this Tuesday. 400 grafts...

[Delphi]

Are you saying FUE is not a good procedure? And one shouldn't do it? I'm doing one this Tuesday. 400 grafts...

He is not saying that FUE is not a good procedure, oh course it’s a good procedure, I think he’s pointing out Dr. Cole’s hypocrisy and that Spencer Kobren should be trusted over all of these doctors.

[TheFirst17]

Oh okay. I guess I'm just a little on edge.
I'm doing a 400 graft FUE next week to "fix" my "house like" hairline that I've had since birth lol. And I'm a little scared - But at the same time, I'm self conscious about it and want to do something about it - but safely.
I'm going in with Doctor True/Dorin.
I just hope and pray that all goes well.
This is a life changing thing - and it will alter my life forever...

I honestly just hope that there are good people out there and who have good morals... where this Hair Transplant is concerned. Referring to the doctors...

[DAVE52]

I think 400 graft FUE is nothing .
It will be life changing forever vbecause as you age you will most probably lose more hair around where they put the 400 grafts and will require further surgeries to fill in where you lost more hair .
I think you should give it more thought and consider what will happen later on in life

[DAVE52]

I'm doing 400 grafts. Via FUE. Which, from what I'm hearing isn't a lot of grafts for the average treatment.

I don't think so , but Im not a doctor
Is 400 going to make tht much of a difference

[TheFirst17]

I can't predict the future.
But I contacted the doctor, not because of hair loss.
I have a full head of hair. Just have an uneven hairline, from birth.
No family hair loss or anything. But I cannot predict the future, of course. (Crossing fingers on that - I'd be the first in our current generation, grandparents, great parents to lose hair) I don't know about great great grandparents history with hair.
The 400 grafts is to close in a section that never had hair there.. from the day I was born.

[Mr. 4000]

it depends on a number of things

where they will be placed, and at the angle they are placed (hopefully matching the existing hair)

400 can be plenty if done properly and actually grow.

The one thing is that it should be very safe and a fast recovery successful or not.