Failed FUT surgery with major Clinic

[Guest!]

I had 2900 FUT surgery early this year.

My previous FUT scar was only 1mm wide, but this time the scar has stretched somewhere between 4-7mm.

During the surgery the doctor made all the incisions at the temple points and all those grew by month 5.

But then he had his tech perform the rest of the incisions on top without telling me and I still don’t have any growth. Im almost at month 9

Pre-op vs Now

I tried finding out about the tech who operated on me, and while the clinic initially answered some of my questions they politely told me to stop when I wanted to know specifics about her experience. When I rang and spoke to the surgeon directly however he told me she had only performed 400-500 surgeries. The clinic said it was thousands though. I've been having a lot of trouble accepting that the surgeon had somebody operate on me without telling me and now that's the only area where there is failed growth. Going by how the grafts were separated this represents an 80% failure.

The surgeon has already offered to revise the FUT scar saying they have a 90% success rate and will replace any grafts that don’t grow, but I have to wait til 12 months for the final results. Other clinics I’ve consulted however do not believe I have enough grafts to cover the lost areas. I’ve already had 8500 grafts transplanted and most think I only have a small FUE session remaining (if that).

I am incredibly upset and no longer have confidence in the surgeon despite their status in the industry. What are my options looking forward?

 

[Guest!]

Does anyone know how to check the qualifications of someone if they operated on you in Canada?

 

[Guest!]

The scar stretched to over 1cm. Does anyone have advice? I'm really confused why this happened and what to do next

 

[Guest!]

I found out why my scar stretched so badly ... if you have a previous FUT scar, a very loose scalp, and then a very wide strip is taken the scar will almost certainly stretch, especially around the mastoid area. For some reason the surgeon took a 4cm strip so my result was predictable.

There's an article by Frechet where he talks about how you take a 1cm strip this usually results in an invisible scar, so if they had been more conservative and taken only a 2cm strip as I had suggested in my consult (I said I expected only 1500 grafts from the strip) I could have avoided this.

The clinic and the surgeon told me that my scar should be the same as my first FUT surgery which was less than 1mm.

 

[Guest!]

So I'm looking into the possibility of doing a scar revision but it seems removing scar tissue is quite unpredictable. It is also seems highly dependent on how much laxity you have given the excision needs to be performed with minimal or no tension. I don't think I have the laxity to remove such a large scar at the moment I've just started doing some scalp exercises so we will see how that goes.

The Dr who performed my surgery said scar revisions have a 90% success rate, however after consulting with a few other clinics they are not as optimistic with some suggesting a revision could just as likely make things worse. I don't believe I have enough grafts available via FUE to cover the scar properly so I feel forced to consider the revision. If anyone has any advice or experience please let me know.

I've also just started doing some SMP sessions to try and hide the scar. I think it will benefit me psychologically to feel like I am doing something to improve my situation even though it is very expensive. The SMP artist said it was good that the scar was flat and stretched in a non linear way so it's easier for her to integrate the SMP with my surrounding hair. But she also said because the scar was so big there would always be an obvious gap unless I grew my hair long or placed some grafts in the scar. She said it was one of the larger scars she had dealt with.

I'll update the results of the SMP here.

 

[Guest!]

SMP
Before 1st session vs Immediately after 3rd session

 

[Philw]

Hi mate DONT have a scar revision it will stretch
Looks like u may have shockloss around scar
I had it from staples that didnot grow back got scars marks from staples
When did u have op

 

[Guest!]

how do you know it will stretch? what are you basing that from?

my first FUT scar was under 1mm. This time it stretched because the surgeon took a 4cm strip ... when you have a loose scalp + previous FUT scar+ reckless surgeon = the scar will almost certainly stretch.

I'm 10 months post-op. it's not shock loss. it will take 700 grafts minimum to fill in via FUE grafts, and even then that wont even fill it in properly. I dont feel i have a choice but to try.

 

[Philw]

Hi pal most clinics dont do strip surgery now cos they stretch most of the time
I was told i would get a pencil thin scar on both scars never did
Risk having revision surgery on the scar
Good luck with it though

 

[Guest!]

my first FUT scar was less than 1mm ... smaller than my FUE extractions actually
the reason it stretched this time was not due to physiology but an unethical surgeon

thanks though

 

[mania]

It's some times happened to some people due the lack of experience and other things

 

[Guest!]

My surgery was with one of the most experienced doctors in the industry. They would have performed around 200-250 FUT surgeries a year for the last 30 years. The clinic's website claims their scars should be 1mm, as does their consent form. Their website even mocks a 3-4mm scar and says that surgeon's skills are the determining factor in scar formation.

The clinic's rep rang me and said it was the worst FUT scar ever seen from the clinic. The reason is stretched was because the strip was too big. I have the size written in my medical certificate and the surgeon confirmed the size over skype.

What caused the scar to stretch isn't the issue - that's obvious - it's how to fix it.

 

[Philw]

I would have beard hair into scar and top up with smp
Best way forward
Know its a pain mate

 

[Guest!]

that approach would take 700 grafts ... and that would only be at 28FU. Id need another 300 after that and i dont think my donor can supply that.

i had a good scar before this - under 1mm. So my issues arent physiological. Some people are just prone to stretching, even with a good surgeon. My original scar was great, so this time it's obvious the result is due to the actions of an unethical surgeon.

I dont know how to explain this any better but thank you for replying.

 

[Philw]

Ok pal i got 2 bad strip scars
Been in sun paper over xmas showing it so i get it mate
Ok good luck with it and hope surgeon who did it trys 2 help u out
All the best

 

[Guest!]

you got 2 bad ones? or was it the same scar and it got worse? how big is it and have you tried filling it with grafts yet?
that's brutal

thanks for the well wishes. Im not really fond of anymore surgery tbh, but the advice im getting is given the size of the scar it is worth it before putting grafts in there. It's just too big otherwise. I believe i understand the reason it stretched so rationally speaking i can hope for some improvement. And if not at least i tried.

 

[Philw]

No not same scar
Had one strip scar in 2003 low thick scar
Then another in 2008 above old one scar
Then they opened top scar in 2010 to get 1400 garfts guess what it stretched
And from a top dr in new yr great neck dr f$#*=r
Ok u seem 2 know what u wanna do
Good luck with it all
The hairloss industry is fucked mate
Always excuse for poor work
We wont win
Honestly best to move forward and live with it
Yep shit ,but im done with the bollocks of hair industry,u will never be happy guys cos really it dont give u want u want u just learn 2 live with shit results
Ive seen over 30 guys with transplants with the top top surgeons
Honstly always looks shit

 

[Guest!]

why did they do 2 scars? That's a very odd surgical approach not to excise the first scar but to create two seperate scars.
You said the first one was a low thick scar ... so you healed poorly from that and they still chose to create a brand new scar above it? i dont really understand the logic of your case tbh

id rather try to do something than just live with it. And id sort of argue with hairloss it's better to have something than nothing, at least to frame the face. I'd agree the industry isn't kind though

 

[Philw]

My bottom scar was 2 low to take out as told it would stretch, it was done in uk
Then
Dr f&%&%r in new york gave me another strip scar above old one, god knows why
Hope u find the answer and get fixed mate

 

[Guest!]

oh the first one was below the occipital lobe
if you only needed 1400 grafts for the 2nd one and were worried about the 1st one stretching it's strange they didnt take it from the sides as its less prone to stretch there. 1400 is such a low number of grafts as well the strip should be small. hopefully yours is easier to fill

yeah this stuff isnt fun. thanks