Response to Dr. Epstein
Dr. Epstein, I agree with many of your comments especially the part about having an aesthetic eye, which I think you mean artistic ability, and I also agree about the passion part. These are gifts some people get as a result of how they are wired genetically, and by your sound reputation it sounds as though you have such gifts. I also agree that the NeoGraft is a tool and needs a doctor to work with it. However, this tool helps the doctor to overcome some of the challenges that a manual FUE procedure presents. By using the NeoGraft device, a doctor can greatly reduce the transection rate and the amount of time and technicians required to do a manual FUE procedure. As a result the price of a NeoGraft procedure can be reduced since a NeoGraft procedure tales considerable less time than the same manual procedure. This is important since a manual FUE procedure was out of the financial reach of many patients due to the time factor.
My response to this site was based on my belief that everyone has the right to pursue their goals without others pulling out sirens to dissuade the public from going to them because they are new at something. If those who send out the sirens are facing change in their industry, or new competition in their field of expertise then the motive for those who are sounding the sirens becomes suspect. Given the negative hype, which consisted of false assumptions, misconceptions and false information which was generated on many forums about NeoGraft, I do not want to see this happen to doctors who are buying the NeoGraft device. A general negative warning such as the one given on this site, opens up other issues. For example, the warning does not include that often “experienced doctors” are resistant to make changes in the way they do procedures for their own personal reasons, such as not wanting to retrain themselves in a new, more patient - friendly procedure or invest in a new device when they can earn the same revenue doing an older procedure. This resistance to change will often motivate some doctors to find fault with other doctors who obtain the new device, and issue warnings without taking the full situation about the capability of these doctors into account. What I am referring to is that not only Spencer Kobren issued such a warning, but there have been "experienced" hair restoration doctors and different forum members trying to give the same message.
Furthermore, in this case, if most of the experienced hair restoration doctors are not taking the lead to incorporate the NeoGraft device into their practices, and offer patients the FUE procedure, which is a much more beneficial procedure, or at least offer patients the choice of which procedure they wish to have, then those patients, who want an FUE procedure with the NeoGraft will need to find a doctor who is offering the newer, more beneficial to the patients method on the NeoGraft device. It is also important to remember that the NeoGraft device simplifies the FUE procedure and the learning curve is therefore greatly reduced. An Fue hair transplant with NeoGraft is not as dependent on the skill of the doctor as when a doctor does manual FUE. Furthermore and this is very important is that many of the procedures and techniques that a Strip doctor has to learn for Strip surgery are not part of an FUE procedure. For example, removing an elongated piece of scalp, which is a surgical procedure, that requires sufficient practice so as not to cut nerves or arteries, or dissecting follicles and trimming them, are totally absent in an FUE procedure. By sending out a general warning about new doctors that have NeoGraft, a disservice is done to many of them who are already very competent through training, their own experiences, the simplified NeoGraft procedure, and any talent they may have to do excellent work. What is most unfair is that no light is cast on “experienced” hair restoration doctors who might be less than competent regardless of their experience, or new doctors training in he Strip method.
A blanket warning does not give enough recognition to the complexities involved in who or what makes a good hair restoration doctor or not and so everyone in a targeted group is impacted by these warnings. Experience is only one of the components of a proficient doctor and many experienced doctors never reach the level of proficiency hoped for in a doctor in general. One needs to take into consideration that if a procedure is simplified, as with the NeoGraft device, the experience story changes. Hair restoration doctors do seem to stress the need for experience doing hair lines, however, it is also my impression that, with everyone having a different hairline, (taking into consideration age, face shape, ethnicity etc.) the ultimate result depends more on the doctor’s personal aesthetic sense about what constitutes an excellent hairline. This fact does not negate that doctors can learn to do proficient hair lines in a reasonable amount of time that still satisfies the patient.
There is always someone more talented than someone else. But everyone, short of doing harm, is entitled to do their career and not be subjected to warnings. I need to remind readers that many of the doctors buying the NeoGraft are experienced hair restoration doctors already, many coming from other specialties such as Dermatology and Plastic Surgery and others have done hair restoration in the past and want to resume doing them with the NeoGraft device and this is their right.
I do believe sirens should be sounded once a doctor is identified as being incompetent, and only then. This is more fair reporting than casting doubt on a whole group. Unfortunately,identifying incompetent doctors does not always occur and society does not have a good format for how to make the public informed about incompetent doctors in every field. So in the end we all agree patients must do their own due diligence to find the best doctor they can and if they want a NeoGraft FUE hair restoration procedure they will have to pick from those doctors who offer that procedure, many of which are as I stated already very proficient in hair restoration.
It Being new at something is a relative thing. How much time and training is not considered new? Those doctors who have the of the doctors who have purchased the NeoGraft are not out practicing Of course it is the patients ultimate responsibility to choose a good doctor, and if a not good doctor is identified I believe the public should be warned. But until then it is, in my opinion,
It is our intention, with the NeoGraft device to educate the public that now with NeoGraft, a hair transplant procedure is a more simple non invasive procedure and hopefully, those patients, who may have wanted a hair transplant but were not willing to undergo the surgical procedure of the Slit method, will consider doing so with the NeoGraft device. We have heard many patients express this to us.
And why go after the medical device company? They are doing their job, in fact, most medical device companies go beyond their responsibility to only train on the device, for reasons that too lengthy to enter into here. And since when was it wrong to want to make revenue? It was my impression that one of the major reasons for entering hair restoration for doctors who were all educated in other specialties is because this field can be very lucrative. There may be those doctors impassioned by doing hair restoration and I have met some, but do you think every doctors is impassioned to do hair restoration?
It is wise for patients to seek out the best possible doctors they can. However, I do not agree with posting sensational, incorrect and misleading headlines and posts as many forums have done, because the people posting them, I believe feel they have something to lose, which is patients who may decide that the FUE procedure is for them. Spencer Kobren is not a doctor, but he speaks with a lot of doctors and we have heard this sentiment before about NeoGraft being bought by inexperienced doctors. This is not totally accurate, as many doctors in other specialties who are buying NeoGraft do hair restoration, and some did so in the past and want to start again. But in any case, since everyone was new in hair restoration at one point in time,
Dr. Epstein, I agree with many of your comments especially the part about having an aesthetic eye, which I think you mean artistic ability, and I also agree about the passion part. These are gifts some people get as a result of how they are wired genetically, and by your sound reputation it sounds as though you have such gifts. I also agree that the NeoGraft is a tool and needs a doctor to work with it. However, this tool helps the doctor to overcome some of the challenges that a manual FUE procedure presents. By using the NeoGraft device, a doctor can greatly reduce the transection rate and the amount of time and technicians required to do a manual FUE procedure. As a result the price of a NeoGraft procedure can be reduced since a NeoGraft procedure tales considerable less time than the same manual procedure. This is important since a manual FUE procedure was out of the financial reach of many patients due to the time factor.
My response to this site was based on my belief that everyone has the right to pursue their goals without others pulling out sirens to dissuade the public from going to them because they are new at something. If those who send out the sirens are facing change in their industry, or new competition in their field of expertise then the motive for those who are sounding the sirens becomes suspect. Given the negative hype, which consisted of false assumptions, misconceptions and false information which was generated on many forums about NeoGraft, I do not want to see this happen to doctors who are buying the NeoGraft device. A general negative warning such as the one given on this site, opens up other issues. For example, the warning does not include that often “experienced doctors” are resistant to make changes in the way they do procedures for their own personal reasons, such as not wanting to retrain themselves in a new, more patient - friendly procedure or invest in a new device when they can earn the same revenue doing an older procedure. This resistance to change will often motivate some doctors to find fault with other doctors who obtain the new device, and issue warnings without taking the full situation about the capability of these doctors into account. What I am referring to is that not only Spencer Kobren issued such a warning, but there have been "experienced" hair restoration doctors and different forum members trying to give the same message.
Furthermore, in this case, if most of the experienced hair restoration doctors are not taking the lead to incorporate the NeoGraft device into their practices, and offer patients the FUE procedure, which is a much more beneficial procedure, or at least offer patients the choice of which procedure they wish to have, then those patients, who want an FUE procedure with the NeoGraft will need to find a doctor who is offering the newer, more beneficial to the patients method on the NeoGraft device. It is also important to remember that the NeoGraft device simplifies the FUE procedure and the learning curve is therefore greatly reduced. An Fue hair transplant with NeoGraft is not as dependent on the skill of the doctor as when a doctor does manual FUE. Furthermore and this is very important is that many of the procedures and techniques that a Strip doctor has to learn for Strip surgery are not part of an FUE procedure. For example, removing an elongated piece of scalp, which is a surgical procedure, that requires sufficient practice so as not to cut nerves or arteries, or dissecting follicles and trimming them, are totally absent in an FUE procedure. By sending out a general warning about new doctors that have NeoGraft, a disservice is done to many of them who are already very competent through training, their own experiences, the simplified NeoGraft procedure, and any talent they may have to do excellent work. What is most unfair is that no light is cast on “experienced” hair restoration doctors who might be less than competent regardless of their experience, or new doctors training in he Strip method.
A blanket warning does not give enough recognition to the complexities involved in who or what makes a good hair restoration doctor or not and so everyone in a targeted group is impacted by these warnings. Experience is only one of the components of a proficient doctor and many experienced doctors never reach the level of proficiency hoped for in a doctor in general. One needs to take into consideration that if a procedure is simplified, as with the NeoGraft device, the experience story changes. Hair restoration doctors do seem to stress the need for experience doing hair lines, however, it is also my impression that, with everyone having a different hairline, (taking into consideration age, face shape, ethnicity etc.) the ultimate result depends more on the doctor’s personal aesthetic sense about what constitutes an excellent hairline. This fact does not negate that doctors can learn to do proficient hair lines in a reasonable amount of time that still satisfies the patient.
There is always someone more talented than someone else. But everyone, short of doing harm, is entitled to do their career and not be subjected to warnings. I need to remind readers that many of the doctors buying the NeoGraft are experienced hair restoration doctors already, many coming from other specialties such as Dermatology and Plastic Surgery and others have done hair restoration in the past and want to resume doing them with the NeoGraft device and this is their right.
I do believe sirens should be sounded once a doctor is identified as being incompetent, and only then. This is more fair reporting than casting doubt on a whole group. Unfortunately,identifying incompetent doctors does not always occur and society does not have a good format for how to make the public informed about incompetent doctors in every field. So in the end we all agree patients must do their own due diligence to find the best doctor they can and if they want a NeoGraft FUE hair restoration procedure they will have to pick from those doctors who offer that procedure, many of which are as I stated already very proficient in hair restoration.
It Being new at something is a relative thing. How much time and training is not considered new? Those doctors who have the of the doctors who have purchased the NeoGraft are not out practicing Of course it is the patients ultimate responsibility to choose a good doctor, and if a not good doctor is identified I believe the public should be warned. But until then it is, in my opinion,
It is our intention, with the NeoGraft device to educate the public that now with NeoGraft, a hair transplant procedure is a more simple non invasive procedure and hopefully, those patients, who may have wanted a hair transplant but were not willing to undergo the surgical procedure of the Slit method, will consider doing so with the NeoGraft device. We have heard many patients express this to us.
And why go after the medical device company? They are doing their job, in fact, most medical device companies go beyond their responsibility to only train on the device, for reasons that too lengthy to enter into here. And since when was it wrong to want to make revenue? It was my impression that one of the major reasons for entering hair restoration for doctors who were all educated in other specialties is because this field can be very lucrative. There may be those doctors impassioned by doing hair restoration and I have met some, but do you think every doctors is impassioned to do hair restoration?
It is wise for patients to seek out the best possible doctors they can. However, I do not agree with posting sensational, incorrect and misleading headlines and posts as many forums have done, because the people posting them, I believe feel they have something to lose, which is patients who may decide that the FUE procedure is for them. Spencer Kobren is not a doctor, but he speaks with a lot of doctors and we have heard this sentiment before about NeoGraft being bought by inexperienced doctors. This is not totally accurate, as many doctors in other specialties who are buying NeoGraft do hair restoration, and some did so in the past and want to start again. But in any case, since everyone was new in hair restoration at one point in time,
Comment