Why so many different survival rates for scar grafting?

[topcat]

NE guy everyone has to choose what and who is best for them. But to see statements being made by those that work in the industry that are untrue and posted to a forum where others rely on research cannot simply go unanswered because someone thinks no one is looking or doesn’t know the truth. Don’t mistake education for intelligence.

I disagree completely with what you have written. My life experience has given me the opportunity to know differently. These traits you describe as weakness are in fact just the opposite they are signs of strength, because a man that treats others well is a man that has confidence in his own ability. I have worked in the night club industry for over 25 years and I have been around gyms even longer where some pretty tough fighters train. Confident men do not need to treat others like shit only men that are weak have this need and its always interesting to observe. I have very little respect for such weak men and I have made the same observation in both the field of HT and other industries.

But as I wrote everyone needs to choose who they believe is best by doing their own research. I’m an avid reader and tend to hold on to important concepts I believe to be true. I read this excerpt back in 1995 from the book Emotional Intelligence and I believe it to be very true. Everyone needs to understand that a HT procedure is a team effort and if you don't then you best not have a procedure.

In his book, Goleman relates the story of Melburn McBroom, who was a domineering leader, with a bad temper. The problem with this combination of emotional deficiencies was that he also happened to be an airline pilot. In 1978 as McBroom’s plane was approaching Portland, Oregon to land, he noticed a problem with the landing gear. He decided to maintain a holding pattern as he obsessed about the landing gear. His co-pilots watched as the fuel gauges approached empty, but they were so fearful of their leader’s wrath that they said nothing. The plane crashed, killing ten people. This story is told in training courses to enforce the need for teamwork, open communication, cooperation, listening, which leaders with high emotional intelligence foster.

[northeastguy]

Topcat, we can always rely on you to throw in your two cents We are all well aware everyone needs to choose who is best for them. Each of us is quite aware of that freedom.

You've completely mistaken the context of my post. The general respect one has or should have for another person is not at all what my comment was about.... I’m not referring to the everyday Tom, Dick, and Harry. I’m referring to those we are attempting to choose that will ultimately change a major part of our physical appearance.
My 25 years of experience in a gym with the exception of pain has taught me very little.... gaining life experience was never my top reason for going. Also, I do not have 25 years experience in a night club. What I do have is 17 years of direct experience working with doctors. The last 7 in some very gut wrenching procedures. I can assure you, my life experience in regards to the correlation between personality traits and the skill set of doctors might carry a little more weight than yours. And I get the feeling that might be hard to accept. There are very few Doctors who are the whole package. That is the unfortunate truth. For the most part, they are extremely personable and quite average or rough around the edges, or maybe a bit quirky, but they are second to none. But in general, most are decent people trying to do good. Do I think education and skill alone is a true measure of a person? Hell no, I completely agree. Does the average person need to treat people like shit to feel confident? Of course not. Most of us including you would never have the need to. But when it comes to those who are considered the elite in medicine, it is extremely common. I witness it every day for the last 17 years. Confidence has nothing to do with it either. They are all confident. If they weren't, they wouldn't be Doctors. That is especially true in the HT industry. Who in their right mind would ever allow someone to alter their appearance if they felt the Doctor wasn't confident He or she couldn't do it? Do we get mislead, guided, or misinformed?…..That’s a whole other issue.
I have exhausted the last 2 months on a daily basis to find the right HT Doctor to repair and finish the mistake I made 19 years ago. E-mailing aside, I have requested a phone conversation with at least 7 of the top FUE doctors discussed on these boards. With the exception of one (kudos to Dr Charles), none of them made any attempt to call me in person. I've just accepted the industry is what it is and my goal was to focus on who had the most experience and skill set to meet my goals. Who gave me the best opportunity to put this chapter of my life to rest and to move on with the rest of it. That is my personal objective. That is how I decided who was best for me. I can assure you, personality as long as they weren’t a downright prick, wasn't a major factor. Like I said, It’s the skill of their hands and experience I’m going to see them for….it’s that alone that will produce to final result I walk around with for the rest of my life. Not their smile. It's about priorities for me.

...for the record, I'm going with Sandy Koufax

[topcat]

NEguy I respect you right to state your opinion but I disagree regardless of your experience of working with doctors. People are people and what I worte applies regardless of their occupation.

I do not settle and I do not do business with someone that does not meet my own criteria as my standards are very high. I have not been desperate for the last 14 years and that is why I was able to wait.

I have not only spoken to many of the employees of these clinics but I have spoken to countless patients over years. Many of them have regrets and many seem to recollect how they were treated like shit on top of it.

I could care less who goes to what clinic as that is not my reason for posting all these years. I post to help the industry change itself. This doctor made a statement that was not only derogatory but untrue it needed to be addressed otherwise all the lies on these forums become truth over time.

[topcat]

My research has been quite different it was very long watching the forums and reading day in and day out year after year. Speaking with former patients and listening to their own personal experiences and what they knew about the industry. It also included contacting those that worked in the industry not doctors but employees and asking them their thoughts about the industry in general and about specific doctors and clinics.

You simply cannot come on to these forums for a couple of years and know what is really going on. It doesn’t mean you will not make a good choice but it’s too easy to make a mistake.


My suggestion to everyone has always been, speak to as many people as possible both patients and those that work in the industry. Use the forums but use that search button which many are too lazy to do because it’s too much work. They think they can just post their question to the forums and have it all figured out in a few months.

I could have easily given examples using the medical industry but I chose not to as my point is that character matters regardless. Most of those that visit the forums are desperate and I can relate as I was desperate in trying to fix all this when I was younger. Desperate people are willing to overlook the obvious because they are in fact desperate. Will they admit this no as it is a sign of weakness. Those that work in this industry see this desperation day in and day out and for too many it works to their advantage.

If someone is going to try and convince me that doing business with anyone that treats those around them like shit is a good idea it’s not going to happen. Maybe for some this is acceptable and that is your choice and it could very well turn out to be a good choice. I can guarantee you the doctors that treat those that work for them like shit also place blame on those same employees when things go wrong. They are also more likely to blame the patient and treat them the same. Just as they treat their family members and everyone they come into contact with in their life. This is who they are as people and that was the point of sharing some of my own experiences outside of the HT world. If anyone thinks this makes for a good choice then you should make that choice and share your own experience after you get out of the chair. If your experience is bad don’t be surprised if many of the forums delete your posts as that is the way it works. Its either that or you will be hounded off the forums by the reps with their incessant attacks as if your experience never happened and I am not speaking about myself but others that I have seen this happen to over the years.

When you see patients or just customers in general of any business take the time to put together hundred page blogs filled with hate these are all clues.
I try to help people see what I have seen but many will just ignore it and that is their choice but also what makes the forums helpful. People can read the various opinions and make up their own minds.

I have posted my thoughts about some of these forums and quite a few are dishonest and rotten to the core, regularly deleting information that the consumer needs to know. How this is all legal with the doctors advertising and commenting at the same time is beyond me.

One final example would be contrasting 2 different forums outside of this one. Both have been around for a very long time. You can go back and read the posts from the moderator on one well over ten years and his statements have always been consistent and relevant posts are never deleted nor are posters that contribute banned. The other forum regularly bans posters that are not in line with their agenda and their advertising base. The first forum moderator has spoken very naturally about his family and children as it is something that matters to him. The second forum moderator posts his homemade fetish porn on the Internet. Who do you think makes more money and where do you think all the desperate young balding guys flock to, that’s right the second forum. Them along with many of the doctors in this industry. Try to make sense out of this. A person either does the right thing or they don't and it matters. I prefer to choose someone that does the right thing.

Like I wrote too many here just eat this shit up and you are completely clueless but I sincerely hope that you do nothing and keep waiting and learning.

[northeastguy]

Had an Uncle just like you.....He was the only person who knew everything 100% of the time.

We should all wait at least 10 years before pulling the trigger. Maybe we can earn a PhD in Hair transplant research. I look forward to being completely unhappy for the next decade when there are completely competent and talented surgeons available to help. At least then I won't be clueless.

Next time you need major surgery with high risks I'd seriously like to know if you choose the guy who buys lunch for his staff and holds your hand or the guy who has a 99% cure rate with a less than 1% complication rate. Crunch time.

I'm done with this ridiculous banter.....This thread was about survival rates for scar grafting. If someone has constructive information on that subject it is obviously welcome.

[northeastguy]

.....I obviously hope no one is ever in such a position to have to make that decision. It was a rhetorical question. apologies if it came across the wrong way.

[topcat]

NEguy the answer has already been given to you, it was “use the search button”. There are at least 4 well known forums plus a few more, this question has been asked dozens and dozens of times as many patients are stuck with hideous strip scars. You will find at a minimum at least 100 responses to your question. You can then try and contact a particular clinic or poster that interests you and follow up by speaking in person or on the phone.

I believe links don't show up well here, you have to do it on your own.

I have not been to a doctor outside of HT in about 25 years and I do whatever I can to keep it that way. I will take that risk when I know I am going to die and even then I would think twice

And I'm not offended.