Hair Transplant Assurances...

[sausage]

As far as I understand Hair Transplants should work on 96-98% of patients if done correctly.

As the success rate is so high and the surgeons are making vast amounts of money surely they offer refunds to the small percentage of patients it does not quite work out for?

I personally would expect a surgeon to refund at least 90% of the patients money. It may not be their fault that the surgery was not a success but surely it would be proper for them to refund the patient and help keep their reputation intact?

I was curious to know if this was generally the case, if not why not?

When you pay so much and go through so much to have the surgery done you expect to at least get what you paid for or get you money back.

If I didn't have these assurances I think I may be put off by surgery.

[sausage]

Anyone?

yes or no, do many surgeons offer some sort of refunds in their contracts if the procedure has not worked after a certain amount of time?

[StressedToTheBald]

I honestly doubt it.
Further more there is most likely a consent form one has to sign - if anything goes wrong, surgeon's never to take responsibilty(financial or otherwise). Thats the sad reality we live in, it shouldn't be like that, but we as patients are never fully protected.

[Tracy C]

Anyone?

Typically no. There is too much that can happen that is outside of the doctor’s control to guarantee results. Most people who are good candidates and good patients will get good results - but this cannot be guaranteed. Most males would be able to arrest hereditary hair loss with Propecia (or generic Finasteride) - but there are no guarantees. Most women would be able to arrest hereditary hair loss with Aldactone (or generic Spironolactone) – but there are no guarantees. Most people can grow back some hair with Rogaine (or generic Minoxidil) – but there are not guarantees. Most people can improve the quality of the hair they have with low level laser therapy – but there are no guarantees. The problem of resolving hereditary hair loss is bigger than buying a television, radio or a car. It’s a genetic medical condition. Though most people may respond well to one treatment or another, not everyone does. That is just the way the cookie crumbles. It just is what it is. It is very important to choose a doctor who can consistently get excellent results for patients - but that is no guarantee that you will have excellent results.

[sausage]

Thanks for your reply......

I don't see why they can't refund the small percentage of people it does not work for, how is that going to effect them financially when they earn so much in the first place, if anything it could ruin there reputation. If I had a transplant and it did or did not work I would be telling everyone my story on here and other forums so if it does not work then others may be put off by the surgeon I had which obviously can affect the number of new customers that surgeon gets.

You pay for hair you should get hair.

In my consultation emails I will be asking about the security of my money. I will be put off if there are no reassurances that my moneys safe (or at least 60% of it if it goes wrong.

[VictimOfDHT]

In an idealistic world, that would happen. But in a world RUN BY GREED, selfishness and love for money and material things at any price, and where altruism in NON existent, NO. That would NEVER happen, unfortunately.
Sure, it might not be the doctor's fault that some patients dont get good results -or even any results at all- from HTs but wouldn't be a nice thing if the doctor showed some sympathy and offered the patient at least some money back. I mean imagine losing 10,000 or 20,000 dollars and then getting no results. I wouldn't have the face to keep that money if the patient came back to me. I'm sure busy doctors can afford not to make $10000 a couple of days or so a year. Some doctors volunteer their services for humanitarian causes and to help those in poor countries. It would be nice if HT doctors helped those with bad HT outcomes.

[sausage]

In an idealistic world, that would happen. But in a world RUN BY GREED, selfishness and love for money and material things at any price, and where altruism in NON existent, NO. That would NEVER happen, unfortunately.
Sure, it might not be the doctor's fault that some patients dont get good results -or even any results at all- from HTs but wouldn't be a nice thing if the doctor showed some sympathy and offered the patient at least some money back. I mean imagine losing 10,000 or 20,000 dollars and then getting no results. I wouldn't have the face to keep that money if the patient came back to me. I'm sure busy doctors can afford not to make $10000 a couple of days or so a year. Some doctors volunteer their services for humanitarian causes and to help those in poor countries. It would be nice if HT doctors helped those with bad HT outcomes.

You have securities when you buy pretty much anything these days. People get free health care here in the UK so they are fine, but us baldies get screwed over thousands of pounds for surgery and we have no security in terms of getting what we paid for or our money back. For all that money you should have securities.

I'd be fuming if it didn't work and I got no money back, I'd go all the way back to America and demand at least half of it back if i had to.

[StressedToTheBald]

Thanks for your reply......

I don't see why they can't refund the small percentage of people it does not work for, how is that going to effect them financially when they earn so much in the first place, if anything it could ruin there reputation. If I had a transplant and it did or did not work I would be telling everyone my story on here and other forums so if it does not work then others may be put off by the surgeon I had which obviously can affect the number of new customers that surgeon gets.

You pay for hair you should get hair.

In my consultation emails I will be asking about the security of my money. I will be put off if there are no reassurances that my moneys safe (or at least 60% of it if it goes wrong.

At the end of the day, they simply don't care about anything else but money, behind all the polite surfice treatment and what not, they're not there to help us for the sake of helping but to profit from us. If it were otherwise they wouldn't take a fortune for HT to begin with, but would do it way cheaper so even the poor people can afford it. I don't think at any point in history were doctors so hypocritical and greedy as they are today. Money comes before help, cure or compassion these days.

I've been a victim of a bad medical practise. Its not hair related, but a laser surgery gone bad. I have no one to complain to, nor ask my money back. And the same 'surgeon' has messed up many others as well - still they can't do anything either.. and although this 'surgeon's' reputation might be put down by a number of dissapointed patients.. he still works full power because his private practise has powerful advertising and enough reputation to keep on going with his 'work' uninterrupted.

Its only in the medical industry that we have no guarantees.
If You buy a car or a tv and its broken or doesn't feel right - you can ask for repair, ask for another one, or even get full refund.. no such standards apply where they should apply more than anywhere else !

I strongly doubt You'll be able to find any high-end HT surgeon offering money back or ANY other guarantees. But if You do, please let us know, I'd be pleasantly surprised to find out that there is a doctor out there who has some ethical standards left in him.

[gmonasco]

You pay for hair you should get hair.

On the other hand, if you contract for a doctor's services, you should pay for those services.

[sausage]

On the other hand, if you contract for a doctor's services, you should pay for those services.

I understand that, thats why i have (well most of the time) said part refund, half refund or that most should be refunded, I understand they should keep some money for admin and some for their time but the rest should be refunded bearing in mind how much it costs, how much they are making + the fact they claim it works for 96-98% of people so refunding at least half of the money of the small percentage it doesn't work for seems fair, professional, and ethical.

But from what I am hearing surgeons don't refund the patients it doesn't work for which to me shows they don't give two sh*ts about their patients.

I would at least expect IAHRS surgeons to offer some kind of refund seeing as they are at the top of their professions and not joe bloggs clinics in the middle of some dodgy back alley in the slums of Mumbai which is where you would expect to be ripped off. You don't expect to be abused by the top Surgeons in the world. So I hope in my quest for further information they all offer some financial security if the hair transplant does not work.