3000 FUE with Hair Dr Arshad and 1056 FUE Top up.

[Bobbins]

The main problem was your sensational comments before you even had a result yourself, which makes you very suspicious.

I told you if you look back that your result looks good in the photos you have shared and I am usually not a big fan of his work because I think hes too much of a hit or miss.

Could you provide evidence of posts containing those 'sensational comments' (sp) ?

It I remember correctly you reluctantly said the results looked good, but you couldn't really draw conclusions from pictures as you'd seen results look worse in person

What I do find strange is that you pop up on every HairDr thread yet take far less time to give information about the clinic that operated on your despite taking the next 12 months trying to fix it.

Still think I look suspicious or prepared to accept your suspicions were wrong?

 

[Hemingway]

Morning guys,

I did not intend for the thread to devolve into a personal fight between members. Let's try and be more civil towards each other.

I appreciate all replies and opinions including from those who had good results from the clinic/am very happy for you. I hope the clinic improves their work so more patients can be satisfied, even if this will not necessarily help my own situation.

Thank you all for support, moving forwards I will update once I have some idea of options available to me. I could live with this but it's not ideal. On the other hand, 4000 grafts is a fair chunk taken out already.

 

[Bobbins]

Morning guys,

I did not intend for the thread to devolve into a personal fight between members. Let's try and be more civil towards each other.

I appreciate all replies and opinions including from those who had good results from the clinic/am very happy for you. I hope the clinic improves their work so more patients can be satisfied, even if this will not necessarily help my own situation.

Thank you all for support, moving forwards I will update once I have some idea of options available to me. I could live with this but it's not ideal. On the other hand, 4000 grafts is a fair chunk taken out already.

Fair point, apologies. Best of luck in getting an outcome you're satisfied with.

 

[Edsarn]

Your donor looks very strong, so you should have a few thousand left. I had 9 grafts taken, so you should be able to get this corrected and have some left for the future hair loss.

Take care.

 

[Hemingway]

Good morning,

I went to see Dr Bisanga for my 12 month review. I generally did not feel there was any progress over the last few months.

Unfortunately upon cutting my hair a little shorter it became apparent there was some notable donor damage, particularly behind the ears and worse on the right side. When I initially referred myself to Dr Bisanga I had a lot of hope he could repair the hairline and give me the ideal result I wanted, but this wouldn't be possible anymore.

Dr Bisanga had a look at both my hairline, which he noted had a considerable amount of cobblestoning, ridging, and generally poor growth.

He used a microscope to look at the donor region I had concerns with; he confirmed there was a lot of closely placed scars around that region which is likely why it looks quite damaged. In comparison, the very back regions are a lot better preserved.

He said my case was difficult and he was not keen at all do any surgical repair. I have asked about removing the hairline grafts and putting them back into the donor, but he said this could create more scarring on top of what is already there. Body/Beard hair are not great options as I do not have a high amount of those. I also asked about redistribution of donor hair into the damaged regions but he also did not feel this may be a good idea; it could damage the remaining hairs and he felt I am may be too young. He also suggested there may be some ongoing miniaturization, which surprised me as I thought I was safe with the medications I was on.

He recommended a SMP clinic in London. I will go there and see how things work out. At the moment I keep my hair in the region at 2cm+, which makes it look mostly normal. If the SMP goes well that would be good and would give closure. If it doesn't work that well I may request a second consultation with him or consider another opinion. It was a bit of a let down but I appreciate the honesty. I don't want to doctor shop but I find the donor situation hard to tolerate.

Overall, It's a lot worse than I thought. Dr Arshad said he could easily take a further 6000 grafts after my first surgery, so donor overharvesting did not really cross my mind.

 

[Edsarn]

I am really sorry to read this @Hemingway. Was the damage caused by the extractions?

Dr Bisinga is one of the best, and has done lots of repair cases, but it still might be an idea to get a second opinion with other surgeons that have a strong track record of repair cases. Nothing to lose. Eugenix do some pretty amazing repair work...

I think some surgeons are more conservative with donor than others. I remember having a consultation with Dr Raghu Reddy back in 2011, before my very first hair transplant with Dr De Reys and he looked at my donor area and said it was poor and that he could probably only extract 3000 grafts. Ironically, he took 1500 grafts (after the 3000 with Dr De Reys) and said I did not have have any left, but Dr Arshad managed another 3000, and after consultations with different surgeons they think I have still got around 1-2k left. I've had just over 9000. I'm not that bothered about my donor looking a little thin. Would rather have it on top, and thinning out the back and sides makes the top look better.

Take care.

 

[Norwood]

It's great to hear from you again @Hemingway but I'm sorry things arn't as good as you'd hoped for.

Dr Bisanga is a great surgeon, but as @Edsarn says you should still get opions from a few different doctors as they might have different opions as to the best way forward.

 

[Bobbins]

Good morning,

I went to see Dr Bisanga for my 12 month review. I generally did not feel there was any progress over the last few months.

Unfortunately upon cutting my hair a little shorter it became apparent there was some notable donor damage, particularly behind the ears and worse on the right side. When I initially referred myself to Dr Bisanga I had a lot of hope he could repair the hairline and give me the ideal result I wanted, but this wouldn't be possible anymore.

Dr Bisanga had a look at both my hairline, which he noted had a considerable amount of cobblestoning, ridging, and generally poor growth.

He used a microscope to look at the donor region I had concerns with; he confirmed there was a lot of closely placed scars around that region which is likely why it looks quite damaged. In comparison, the very back regions are a lot better preserved.

He said my case was difficult and he was not keen at all do any surgical repair. I have asked about removing the hairline grafts and putting them back into the donor, but he said this could create more scarring on top of what is already there. Body/Beard hair are not great options as I do not have a high amount of those. I also asked about redistribution of donor hair into the damaged regions but he also did not feel this may be a good idea; it could damage the remaining hairs and he felt I am may be too young. He also suggested there may be some ongoing miniaturization, which surprised me as I thought I was safe with the medications I was on.

He recommended a SMP clinic in London. I will go there and see how things work out. At the moment I keep my hair in the region at 2cm+, which makes it look mostly normal. If the SMP goes well that would be good and would give closure. If it doesn't work that well I may request a second consultation with him or consider another opinion. It was a bit of a let down but I appreciate the honesty. I don't want to doctor shop but I find the donor situation hard to tolerate.

Overall, It's a lot worse than I thought. Dr Arshad said he could easily take a further 6000 grafts after my first surgery, so donor overharvesting did not really cross my mind.

Is his reluctance to recommend further surgery based on the recipient area (your hairline?). It sounds like he believes the back of your head may still be suitable to extract grafts from, or am I misunderstanding.

He mentioned miniaturisation continuing. Did he make any recommendations on how to tackle that? Perhaps a switch to stronger medication?

 

[Parasol]

I’m not exactly understanding why Dr. Bisanga can’t put some grafts into the hairline to give you a stronger front-on view?

Is it due to the skin damage? Meaning, he thinks any grafts placed there would fail to grow?

Even if your donor was low and beginning to miniaturize (which is very normal), wouldn’t you have enough healthy grafts left to get the hairline fixed, while saving the rest for the future and trying to strengthen the donor with an adjustment of your meds (as you mentioned being young)?

 

[Hemingway]

Just wanted to clarify regarding my post; Dr Bisanga did not make any comments the previous clinic/doctor when I came in to see him. He provided an objective assessment at the time of what he saw when I came in for a "review", just like for a brand new patient who never had surgery.

I’m not exactly understanding why Dr. Bisanga can’t put some grafts into the hairline to give you a stronger front-on view?

Is it due to the skin damage? Meaning, he thinks any grafts placed there would fail to grow?

Even if your donor was low and beginning to miniaturize (which is very normal), wouldn’t you have enough healthy grafts left to get the hairline fixed, while saving the rest for the future and trying to strengthen the donor with an adjustment of your meds (as you mentioned being young)?

I think with the donor area showing some overharvesting I was not to keen to try to get the hairline done any more in any case. The only thing I would really consider would be hairline removal/redesign and donor area repair in any case.

I am really sorry to read this @Hemingway. Was the damage caused by the extractions?

Dr Bisinga is one of the best, and has done lots of repair cases, but it still might be an idea to get a second opinion with other surgeons that have a strong track record of repair cases. Nothing to lose. Eugenix do some pretty amazing repair work...

I think some surgeons are more conservative with donor than others. I remember having a consultation with Dr Raghu Reddy back in 2011, before my very first hair transplant with Dr De Reys and he looked at my donor area and said it was poor and that he could probably only extract 3000 grafts. Ironically, he took 1500 grafts (after the 3000 with Dr De Reys) and said I did not have have any left, but Dr Arshad managed another 3000, and after consultations with different surgeons they think I have still got around 1-2k left. I've had just over 9000. I'm not that bothered about my donor looking a little thin. Would rather have it on top, and thinning out the back and sides makes the top look better.

Take care.

He did mention that there was scarring that was quite close together when he used the microscope on the right side just behind the ear. That's where things are most thinned out.

 

[Hemingway]

Hi,

I got some SMP done which was actually of considerable benefit. Some photos from before and right after the third session of my right side which I felt pretty bad about. The SMP practitioner Dr Bisanga's clinic recommended to me was very skilled and I'm really grateful for it.



My recipient area has not changed much except for a mild density increase. I've asked around a little more to explore any repair options and I've scheduled for a repair next year with another clinic with a very good repair record. The idea will be to fully/almost fully remove the failed transplant and reuse grafts as appropriate. This will however take multiple sessions.

Once I have it done and if the clinic I'll see are ok with it I may document this in the repair section of the forum. What I wanted from hair transplantation is no longer possible so it's just trying to mitigate the damage as much as possible; could have been a lot worse.

 

[Norwood]

The SMP makes a huge difference, it's pretty amazing how good it can look when done properly.

 

[Edsarn]

Really glad @Hemingway that you have found an experienced surgeon to fix the poor work you had done. It would be great if they allow you to post pictures.

The SMP looks good.

All the best for your surgery!

 

[Bigmac]

Hi Hemingway. The SMP looks to have made a nice improvement giving an appearance of a fuller donor area. Would you be able to add some pictures soon to show how it looks without the redness? I’m pleased you’re able to move forward with a repair. Im guessing any grafts removed will be placed further back in the hairline. Then once the punch out area has healed, a second surgery to rebuild the front.
It`ll be great if they’re ok with you documenting it as it will help others that are seeking similar surgery.
All the best with it.

 

[DucatiP]

Hi,

I got some SMP done which was actually of considerable benefit. Some photos from before and right after the third session of my right side which I felt pretty bad about. The SMP practitioner Dr Bisanga's clinic recommended to me was very skilled and I'm really grateful for it.

View attachment 40430View attachment 40431

My recipient area has not changed much except for a mild density increase. I've asked around a little more to explore any repair options and I've scheduled for a repair next year with another clinic with a very good repair record. The idea will be to fully/almost fully remove the failed transplant and reuse grafts as appropriate. This will however take multiple sessions.

Once I have it done and if the clinic I'll see are ok with it I may document this in the repair section of the forum. What I wanted from hair transplantation is no longer possible so it's just trying to mitigate the damage as much as possible; could have been a lot worse.

Great to see this I’ll look into the smp it seems really good for scars but no idea who to trust for it doesn’t look like there’sa specific course or anything, but then there’s only one hair transplant qualification in the world for doctors so !

At dr arsgad Clinic did the technician an assistant do your fue graft harvest? It looks like they were heavy handed I can’t imagine a uk trained doctor doing this to somebody Scalp

If an assistant did your surgery and dr Arshad let this happen to you that could be illegal. It’s against the cqc and gmc for him to do that just saying. I’m annoying reading up on doctors doing that to people and keep getting away with it
anyway hope you’re happy the smp looks very very good.

Did the assistant do your fue grafts harvest at the hair dr?

 

[41M]

Great to see this I’ll look into the smp it seems really good for scars but no idea who to trust for it doesn’t look like there’sa specific course or anything, but then there’s only one hair transplant qualification in the world for doctors so !

At dr arsgad Clinic did the technician an assistant do your fue graft harvest? It looks like they were heavy handed I can’t imagine a uk trained doctor doing this to somebody Scalp

If an assistant did your surgery and dr Arshad let this happen to you that could be illegal. It’s against the cqc and gmc for him to do that just saying. I’m annoying reading up on doctors doing that to people and keep getting away with it
anyway hope you’re happy the smp looks very very good.

Did the assistant do your fue grafts harvest at the hair dr?

Dr Arshad does all extractions. That was my experience. He also prepared all the transplant area for the technicians to place the grafts into. I remember hurting like hell when the doc extracted from my donor area. Needed several shots of anaesthetic

 

[Baldingman23]

Dr Arshad did all my extractions too. The only thing the technicians did were placing the grafts

 

[DucatiP]

Dr Arshad did all my extractions too. The only thing the technicians did were placing the grafts

That’s good to hear, at least if you were in Surgeon hands you can feel assured he should know what he’s doing surgically. So any issues could be from a different reason.

 

[Hemingway]

Hi Hemingway. The SMP looks to have made a nice improvement giving an appearance of a fuller donor area. Would you be able to add some pictures soon to show how it looks without the redness? I’m pleased you’re able to move forward with a repair. Im guessing any grafts removed will be placed further back in the hairline. Then once the punch out area has healed, a second surgery to rebuild the front.
It`ll be great if they’re ok with you documenting it as it will help others that are seeking similar surgery.
All the best with it.

Yeah. I let it grow out. Luckily at this length my Left looks almost untouched. The right got it much worse and still has a bit of a "hole" which has however shrunk in size/prominence. I was quoted about 700-800 for extracting the hairline so that could hopefully help repair it and possibly some donor redistribution from nape/front of ears but I imagine with more modest graft counts.

For comparison this was before SMP.

Great to see this I’ll look into the smp it seems really good for scars but no idea who to trust for it doesn’t look like there’sa specific course or anything, but then there’s only one hair transplant qualification in the world for doctors so !

At dr arsgad Clinic did the technician an assistant do your fue graft harvest? It looks like they were heavy handed I can’t imagine a uk trained doctor doing this to somebody Scalp

If an assistant did your surgery and dr Arshad let this happen to you that could be illegal. It’s against the cqc and gmc for him to do that just saying. I’m annoying reading up on doctors doing that to people and keep getting away with it
anyway hope you’re happy the smp looks very very good.

Did the assistant do your fue grafts harvest at the hair dr?

Dr Hamza did my extractions first time, and then Dr Arshad. I don't know which one ripped the hole in my scalp density; I can only assume it was Dr Arshad since he told me he could easily take a further 6000 after the first time. A lot of patients on the forum were concerned about the techs if you look at @Kelvino1987 's thread but I think the pattern of these extremely grim results lies with the surgeon. A patient I spoke who had the surgery on the exact same day also got a very bad result it can't all be the techs' fault.

 

[Bigmac]

I’m sure you’ll achieve a result you’re happy with when you have the next surgery. The SMP works well and you’ll find out the exact hair length that works best for you.
Taking more grafts from the areas you mention should help too.