NeoGraft Hair Transplant Warning - Let The Buyer Beware!

[hudson]

Dr. Epstein,
With respect to your comment : “I also hugely object to your statement that with the NeoGraft the grafts are more closely matched up to the recipient sites in terms of size than they are with FUG- are you suggesting that my recipient sites that are cut with hand-made blades 0.5 to 0.7, occasionally 0.8 mm in size, do not equal let alone exceed the ability of the NeoGrafts to exactly match up the size of my grafts that are cut with my team of 15 assistants who average 7 plus years of dissecting experience?”

I did not imply in my post that you personally and your team do not do an excellent job of matching up sites and grafts. I was speaking generally. I am sorry if you thought my remark was directed personally to you, it was not. As I mentioned before, your reputation alone would make one certain that when you undertake a procedure it will be done properly. Your standards however do not necessarily cross over to other technicians working with other doctors. What you have confirmed is my point that NeoGraft simplifies the hair transplant procedure, making it possible for doctors to do a hair transplant without having to worry about training many technicians to produce grafts that are of good quality. A Strip procedure is not only dependent on the skills of a surgeon, such as yourself, but also in your case on 15 other individuals who separate the grafts from the piece of scalp that was removed. The method NeoGraft uses automatically extracts grafts the same size, and does not depend on technicians to do so.

I would also like to address your comment: “Now you have lost credibility hudson, making one eroneous statement after another.” Dr. Epstein, I do not wish to lose credibility with you. I would like to have a differing opinion and not lose credibility with you as I respect your work. It is a fact that there is quite a bit of controversy as to whether one procedure is more beneficial than the other. The facts about the two different procedures are often in dispute as well. I want to direct you to post that Dr. Cole wrote, also an ISHRS member titled ‘FUE vs Strip’ on this site at http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1299.
You know where NeoGraft stands on this Topic. Here are Dr. Cole's comments:

Dr. Cole writes:
“I've been advocating the FUE procedure over a strip procedure since 2003. The rationale for this is based on experience. Prior to advocating the FUE procedure, I had performed over 8000 strip procedures and i had seen the negative sequelae of multiple strip procedures over time. The first thing to consider is that a properly performed FUE procedure will yield 2.9 hairs per graft in my hands. This is far more than the 2.0 hairs per graft that a strip procedure will produce in expert hands in an average case.

The next obfuscation you will encounter with strip surgeons is that a larger procedure is better off with a strip procedure. An average donor area has over 16,000 follicular units and there is no reason you cannot remove 25% or more with FUE. An average donor area that yields 4000 grafts averaging 2.9 hairs each is certainly going to yield more hair (and coverage) than the same 4000 grafts averaging 2.0 hairs per graft. The next thing to recognize is that the average strip transplant achieves it's graft count by splitting 3 and 4 hair grafts into 1 and 2 hair grafts. Certainly, you can produce more grafts by fractionating full size follicular units into smaller grafts. (if you read the rest of article which I did not include for brevity, it will explain why Dr. Cole states this about the grafts. It has to do with the technicians.)

The survival of strip and FUE grafts in capable hands is the same. The number of hairs per graft is greater with FUE. The potential for negative scarring is greater with strip surgery. The potential coverage from either procedure is better with FUE based on similar numbers of grafts.
In 2002 FUE was essentially non-existent. In 2006 it was 7.4% of all hair transplant surgeries. In 2008 FUE was 10.4% of all hair transplant surgeries. In due course, it will continue to grow.

if you are confused and uncertain what to do, wait. In time your choices will narrow. Certainly, it is very likely that anyone under 30 will not have a strip as their initial surgery. Of course this is what i have been advocating for over 6 years.”

[Winston]

From everything I have read, including the history of FUE on Dr. Coles website, and on one show when Dr. Bauman called in, it was Spencer Kobren who introduced FUE to North American Hair transplant doctors and called for its practice and acceptance. Dr. Epstein posted that he does three FUE per week and I’ve heard Spencer talk about Dr. Feller's fue machine, and Dr. Harris’s also. So I don’t think Kobren, Dr. Epstein or any good doctor is anti FUE.
I think that that they are anti BS

Hudson, your arguments sound like those of a salesman and you still have not told us who you are. I don't really care, but I do find it odd that you have some much to say but will not divulge your identity.

[Delphi]

Last night Spencer Kobren said on his show that he was going to invite the Neograft people and one or two FUE doctors to talk about the NeoGraft and debate their views on it. I wonder if hudson is going to join in?
Will you be there Dr. Epstein?

[Winston]

It’s unlikely that hudson will be on the show since he still has not identified himself. I do think hearing both sides of the debate is very valuable for anyone who is thinking about having an FUE hair transplant.

[blowmeup]

Any news on the interview? Spencer if you’re reading this can you let us know?