Please Help Me Choose A Strip Surgeon For First hair transplant On Virgin Scalp - Page 2 - BaldTruthTalk.com

View Poll Results: Taking into account Price/Value/Skill which Doctor should I go with for FUT/Strip?

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  • Dr Damkerng Pathomvanich of Thailand

    2 16.67%
  • Drs Hasson & Wong of Vancouver

    7 58.33%
  • Dr Steven Gabel of Portland, OR

    2 16.67%
  • Dr Rahal of Canada

    0 0%
  • Dr Alexander of Phoenix, AZ

    1 8.33%
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  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by KO1 View Post
    I wouldn't get too focused on the celebrity status. Some doctors are better at marketing than others, and have developed vocal "fan bases" (That doesn't mean they are bad, just have more public following). I would add these to your list: Konior, Shapiro, and Cooley. Konior is my favorite, but he has a long wait list of a year. IMHO Path is ok, but I think for FUT, it may be best to stay in NA.

    Also, please don't price shop or rank by price. Go with the clinic you are most comfortable with. The price difference will be negligible if you get a good result.
    Thanks KO1. I agree with you on the whole celebrity thing - I didn't mean to imply that celeb status was a pre-requisite to make my short list.

    I've already decided to add Shapiro to my list because you are one of many people to tell me to do so.

    Konior is a name that has come up multiple times as well but it sounds like his wait list is crazy. Do you have any idea of his prices?

    What's the deal with Cooley, I hadn't heard of him at all but you're now the second person to mention him.

    Also, in regards to the whole price thing this is my mindset:

    It seems like pretty much everyone agrees that the Shapiro's and H&W's are on a different level than Dr Path. But what I am trying to determine is just how much of a difference there is. I.E. if we took a 100 point scale and said Shapiro is a 99-100 then is Dr Path a 96? Because in that case perhaps there is an argument to be made to save $3000-$4000 and go with him. Or are we saying Dr Path is an 82, in which case it is most likely worth it to pay the extra money and get that big jump in quality.

    I know that it's impossible to give each surgeon a score out of a 100 so I don't mean this in a literal sense...more so just trying to get a sense just how much of a difference there is in skill.

    P.S. Based on feedback and further convos with some folks I think I was a bit premature in leaning so heavily towards FUT over FUE... so I have re-opened that avenue of research and Doctor Lupanzula is on my short list for high skill/reasonable prices. I followed your thread on another forum and may have some questions for you on your experience with him (if you don't mind)

  2. #12
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    Konior is probably the most expensive of the surgeons that are discussed on here, I think he is around $5/FUT and $8-$9/FUE. I think he might be slowing down a bit and reducing the number of patients. Cooley is also well respected at FUT, he's an innovator and very experienced. I understand what you're trying to do, but it's really not possible to rank clinics in the way you mentioned, and if you were to, it would simply be an opinion based on limited data. If money were no object, who would you go to?

    Feel free to ask away on my thread. When it comes to FUT vs FUE, take everybody's opinion with a grain of salt, while the forums are great, they also lend themselves to passionate cheerleading from posters, both for surgeons as well as techniques, and posters get emotionally invested in clinics and techniques. There are good clinics for either technique these days....what are you more comfortable with? (recurring theme)

    One thing I am concerned is that you already have an HT booked for next month while also being in the exploratory stage in terms of looking at clinics....

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by KO1 View Post
    I wouldn't get too focused on the celebrity status. Some doctors are better at marketing than others, and have developed vocal "fan bases" (That doesn't mean they are bad, just have more public following). I would add these to your list: Konior, Shapiro, and Cooley. Konior is my favorite, but he has a long wait list of a year. IMHO Path is ok, but I think for FUT, it may be best to stay in NA.

    Also, please don't price shop or rank by price. Go with the clinic you are most comfortable with. The price difference will be negligible if you get a good result.
    Good points. I think the Drs listed above are in an elite class even as far as IAHRS recommended surgeons are concerned. I had my last procedure with Dr. Wong (3200 grafts) who also in my opinion belongs in that class. I can not attest to my end result as of yet because I am just shy of my second month. I can tell you Dr. Wong was very involved in each step of the procedure. Certainly a Dr who cares about each and every graft as well as the desires and well being of the patient. I did have a strip so I'm sharing from my own perspective.
    Just a couple of thoughts from a HT veteran, 1. DONT make your consderations based on price. An extra few grand will compare very little to your final result that you will forever live with. 2. Stick with IAHRS, the ISHRS from tbe consumers aspect is a joke in my opinion. They have no critical feed back of their members or any forum to provide patient feed back. They are self regulated and as long as you pay your dues, show up to a convention you get your badge. There are numerous complaints and very poor results from Drs. holding that moniker. Do enough internet searching you will see. 3. If your still on the fence about who to go to and why then there is no question in my mind you should cancel your upcomming appointment and take a deep breath. You are asking very important qustions you are unsure about very late in the game. Good Luck

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by KO1 View Post
    Konior is probably the most expensive of the surgeons that are discussed on here, I think he is around $5/FUT and $8-$9/FUE. I think he might be slowing down a bit and reducing the number of patients. Cooley is also well respected at FUT, he's an innovator and very experienced. I understand what you're trying to do, but it's really not possible to rank clinics in the way you mentioned, and if you were to, it would simply be an opinion based on limited data. If money were no object, who would you go to?
    My initial starting point for getting this short list was to cross-reference the recommended surgeon lists from IAHRS, American Hair Loss Association, Hair Transplant Network, and Bald Truth Talk. I figured that doctors that kept showing up on all of those lists were worth looking into.

    As far as I can tell Dr Konior is only recommended on this site, none of the others - so that's why I was not aware of him when putting together my list. Is there any back story to why he isn't recommended on the other sites (pretty much all of the other elite docs I'm considering are recommended on each site). You mentioned that he has a 1-year wait list so is he simply making so much money that he doesn't feel the need to 'play the game'?

    If money were no object I'd probably go with H&W. If I went that route then the next question I would try to explore is whether to go w/ Hasson or Wong. I've heard a couple well respected ppl in the community say to go with Wong but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

    Is Cooley considered to be in the same elite level as H&W, Shapiro, Etc.? I have seen his name come up a couple times now.

    Quote Originally Posted by KO1 View Post
    Feel free to ask away on my thread. When it comes to FUT vs FUE, take everybody's opinion with a grain of salt, while the forums are great, they also lend themselves to passionate cheerleading from posters, both for surgeons as well as techniques, and posters get emotionally invested in clinics and techniques. There are good clinics for either technique these days....what are you more comfortable with? (recurring theme)
    Excellent advice, I will take this into account.

    In my mind it would seem that the main advantages of FUT is that as a general rule of thumb you can get more grafts by doing FUT first and then FUE at a later point in time. And secondly, it's just cheaper - I simply can't afford to do $7-9 per graft for FUE. On the other hand w/ FUE you don't have the linear scar and I do like to keep my hair short at times so this is a big benefit. That's why I've opened up my search to FUE (clinics in Europe specifically since they seem to have more reasonable pricing)

    Quote Originally Posted by KO1 View Post
    One thing I am concerned is that you already have an HT booked for next month while also being in the exploratory stage in terms of looking at clinics....
    Yeah it seems pretty clear to me that I jumped the gun and need more time to research further and continue the education process. I am 95% sure I am going to cancel the surgery - I still have a few days to do so within the free cancellation period.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hairbrain View Post
    Good points. I think the Drs listed above are in an elite class even as far as IAHRS recommended surgeons are concerned. I had my last procedure with Dr. Wong (3200 grafts) who also in my opinion belongs in that class. I can not attest to my end result as of yet because I am just shy of my second month. I can tell you Dr. Wong was very involved in each step of the procedure. Certainly a Dr who cares about each and every graft as well as the desires and well being of the patient. I did have a strip so I'm sharing from my own perspective.
    Just a couple of thoughts from a HT veteran, 1. DONT make your consderations based on price. An extra few grand will compare very little to your final result that you will forever live with. 2. Stick with IAHRS, the ISHRS from tbe consumers aspect is a joke in my opinion. They have no critical feed back of their members or any forum to provide patient feed back. They are self regulated and as long as you pay your dues, show up to a convention you get your badge. There are numerous complaints and very poor results from Drs. holding that moniker. Do enough internet searching you will see. 3. If your still on the fence about who to go to and why then there is no question in my mind you should cancel your upcomming appointment and take a deep breath. You are asking very important qustions you are unsure about very late in the game. Good Luck

    Thx HairBrain

    Would you say Cooley is considered to be in the same elite level as H&W, Shapiro, Etc.? I have seen his name come up a couple times now.

    Why did you choose Dr Wong over Hasson?

    Completely agree regarding ISHRS - I'm not factoring that into my decision at all.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcs87 View Post
    Thx HairBrain

    Would you say Cooley is considered to be in the same elite level as H&W, Shapiro, Etc.? I have seen his name come up a couple times now.
    I certainly believe Dr. Cooley is a very highly regarded surgeon as well, any surgeon that is part of the Project Repair speaks for itself. When I spoke of an elite class within the IAHRS I'm primarily giving reference to those doctors who have made a difference in the industry such as Dr Wong for the lateral slit technique or have mastered or are known for a specialty such as Dr. Konoir and his hairlines or the European/Turkish doctors known for their FUE. Beyond that I think to try and "rate" doctors is as futile as it is subjective. However with that said I think anyone considering a hair transplant should have their own short list based primarily on their needs, desires and only after directly communicating with those prospective doctors personally. Keep in mind there are no substitutes for consistent natural results and satisfied patients over time.

    Quote Originally Posted by jcs87 View Post
    Thx HairBrain
    Why did you choose Dr Wong over Hasson?
    Finding the right doctor was a very personal decision for me. I took it on as almost a job and literally spent years waiting for the right opportunity, time, and doctor. I will not hijack your thread and go into detail as to my situation I will be sharing that in an upcoming thread. I was looking for a doctor that was experienced in repair work and large sessions. To make a long story short and what made me directly reach out to Dr. Wong was based not only on his history of successful repair work but in a single interview when he was asked what was the most rewarding part of his job. He stated when he sees a patient come in and in need of repair work who's been living under a hat or looking down at his feet for years and that person has the donor that it brought a smile to his face, he went on to say; because today if you have the donor we can repair just about anything. It only took one brief conversation with Dr Wong that my short list went from 3 to 1 (final result pending)............

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hairbrain View Post
    I certainly believe Dr. Cooley is a very highly regarded surgeon as well, any surgeon that is part of the Project Repair speaks for itself. When I spoke of an elite class within the IAHRS I'm primarily giving reference to those doctors who have made a difference in the industry such as Dr Wong for the lateral slit technique or have mastered or are known for a specialty such as Dr. Konoir and his hairlines or the European/Turkish doctors known for their FUE. Beyond that I think to try and "rate" doctors is as futile as it is subjective. However with that said I think anyone considering a hair transplant should have their own short list based primarily on their needs, desires and only after directly communicating with those prospective doctors personally. Keep in mind there are no substitutes for consistent natural results and satisfied patients over time.
    I hadn't heard of Project Repair until you mentioned it, very interesting/compassionate. It looks like Cooley and Lupanzula are participating but I couldn't find a list of others - do you know who else is working with Joe on this?

    I get what you're saying about elite IAHRS docs. It can be difficult and time consuming figuring out what each doc's reputation is so would you say this accurate (and what else would you add for each doc):

    Wong - Lateral slit technique and all around excellent FUT surgeon
    Shapiro - Excellent long term record - is he known more for FUE or FUT? Seems like he gets a lot of love for both.
    Rahal - Hairlines and dense packing. All around excellent FUT surgeon.
    Cooley - All around excellent FUT surgeon. I believe I also read somewhere that he was one of the originators of using PRP.
    Gabel - All around excellent FUT surgeon
    Konior - ?

    I haven't done as much research on FUE surgeons. So far the names that I have in my head are: Bisanga, Lorenzo, Feriduni, and maybe Lupanzula and maybe Mwamba.

    I'm also trying to gather more info on what seem to be the 2 top Turkish docs: Doganay and Erdogan (Erdogan sounds great and the price is right, but it also sounds like they run a bit of a factory operation over there and it's unclear to me how involved the doc is with my actual surgery).

    Lastly, there are the big three Indian docs: Tejinder Bhatti, Kapil Dua, and Arvind Poswal. I never see anyone mentioning the Indian docs as being in the top tier elite conversation though...

    Thoughts?



    Quote Originally Posted by Hairbrain View Post
    Finding the right doctor was a very personal decision for me. I took it on as almost a job and literally spent years waiting for the right opportunity, time, and doctor. I will not hijack your thread and go into detail as to my situation I will be sharing that in an upcoming thread. I was looking for a doctor that was experienced in repair work and large sessions. To make a long story short and what made me directly reach out to Dr. Wong was based not only on his history of successful repair work but in a single interview when he was asked what was the most rewarding part of his job. He stated when he sees a patient come in and in need of repair work who's been living under a hat or looking down at his feet for years and that person has the donor that it brought a smile to his face, he went on to say; because today if you have the donor we can repair just about anything. It only took one brief conversation with Dr Wong that my short list went from 3 to 1 (final result pending)............
    Looking forward to the thread! I was going to ask who the other finalists on your list were but it sounds like we are in very different circumstances in terms of what we're looking for in a doc.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcs87 View Post
    My initial starting point for getting this short list was to cross-reference the recommended surgeon lists from IAHRS, American Hair Loss Association, Hair Transplant Network, and Bald Truth Talk. I figured that doctors that kept showing up on all of those lists were worth looking into.

    As far as I can tell Dr Konior is only recommended on this site, none of the others - so that's why I was not aware of him when putting together my list. Is there any back story to why he isn't recommended on the other sites (pretty much all of the other elite docs I'm considering are recommended on each site). You mentioned that he has a 1-year wait list so is he simply making so much money that he doesn't feel the need to 'play the game'?
    Dr. Konior is not just recommended on this site, he's mentioned on other forum sites as well. I just had a procedure with him and I'll tell you why I chose him. He does most of the work himself, which is nearly unheard of in this industry. I am not knocking the other doctors for using techs to place the grafts, I am simply saying I was willing to pay the extra $$ to have the piece of mind knowing that the doctor was doing most, if not all of the work. I've had 2 procedures and I can tell you the experiences were night and day. In my opinion, Dr. Konior has a wait list of a year because he is in high demand. He's certainly not going to be the cheapest option, but keep in mind you only have a limited donor supply to use and if you have a poor result from your first procedure you've wasted good grafts that are gone forever.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kojak View Post
    Dr. Konior is not just recommended on this site, he's mentioned on other forum sites as well. I just had a procedure with him and I'll tell you why I chose him. He does most of the work himself, which is nearly unheard of in this industry. I am not knocking the other doctors for using techs to place the grafts, I am simply saying I was willing to pay the extra $$ to have the piece of mind knowing that the doctor was doing most, if not all of the work. I've had 2 procedures and I can tell you the experiences were night and day. In my opinion, Dr. Konior has a wait list of a year because he is in high demand. He's certainly not going to be the cheapest option, but keep in mind you only have a limited donor supply to use and if you have a poor result from your first procedure you've wasted good grafts that are gone forever.
    Thanks Kojak, when I say "recommended" I am referring to the official list of recommended doctors for each forum, not just recommended in individual threads.

    Glad to hear your experience with Konior went well though. Was this a repair job or just some supplemental work? Who was your first HT with?

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcs87 View Post
    Thanks Kojak, when I say "recommended" I am referring to the official list of recommended doctors for each forum, not just recommended in individual threads.

    Glad to hear your experience with Konior went well though. Was this a repair job or just some supplemental work? Who was your first HT with?
    He's definitely recommended on the Hair Restoration Social Network as that's where I found his information. My first HT was all right and this HT was a supplement procedure, not a repair job. I don't want to name my first HT doctor as he is not a bad HT doctor. I think he's fine if you need a small transplant, but my loss required more grafts than what my first HT doctor provided. I took his advice and looking back I wish I would have just opted for a larger HT with one of the more well known doctors named on the forums. I can tell you that Dr. Konior just seemed to be in another class from my experience. There is an art to HT surgery and from looking at various results I felt Dr. K had a skill some of the other doctors did not possess.

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