H
HLPToronto
member
Hi Folks,
Lurker here just like I was on HRN where I posted my original review and experience to share with the community. Thought of sharing the same here if this minor contribution could help anyone in anyway possible.
Here's my experience ( not so detailed LOL ) - PRE OP, During OP and POST OP as this might help some folks who are on the fence like I was before I met Darling buds team
and for folks who would like to live the experience thru someone else's eyes ( I always wanted similar insight before making a decision like Lennney's recent review really helped me ) Special thanks @Lennney
I'd most likely post a new thread later ( as this thread got sidetracked now) with additional details as I recall them and add constructive feedback for the clinic ( if any)
PREOP
Landed at Delhi airport on Sunday 1:00 am - 17th march , some minor hiccups but finally took cab for decent price to Chandigarh ( 3 hour journey only night time, no traffic and we stopped to eat on the way at a famous restaurant).
It was OLA cab ( a famous Uber India competitor with safe driver, i pad, WiFi all provided ) safety-wise, car was restricted with 80 km/hr max speed as per OLA's policy, so i felt much safer
Reached Glades hotel ( prebooked for 5 nights by clinic rep ) at early morning, they gave me the best corner suite front facing with high back chairs that are required for sleeping after operation. It was premium room, the best this hotel offers
Took shower, settled in, got a call from Shalini ( clinic's team lead ),she was very much concerned about how my journey was, was asking the right questions, she had called hotel previously also to inquire why I haven't arrived yet. Very professional lady, said take some rest, Dr. bhatti will meet me in the evening as initially we were supposed to meet 10:30 am but later she changed it to 6 pm.
I was impressed with clinic's approach, flexibility and was feeling positive assuming from there ... now i am in their city, in their hands and they will take good care of my needs, will plan everything for me. This assumption turned into reality in the coming days.
As soon as I checked into my room, Patient rep from England called me. I was delighted to see Shera is keeping an eye on my every movement to ensure I am safe, sound and happy with the hotel. He told me to rest assured me that Doctor will meet me the same night. I bumped into 2 patients at the hotel lobby - one south indian gentleman with his wife ( who was taking good care of him) and one from Netherlands - a tall caucasian fellow with black bandana on. Both assured me that I am in safe hands for my tomorrow's session. Talking with patients who were just done with their surgery, it gave me some more peace of mind. They only gave me positive feedback, nothing negative. One fellow did mentioned that Dr Bhatti doesn't talk much, will just answer if you have any questions but likes to move on fast as a high energy doctor. But at the same time, he said his operation was flawless, Dr Bhatti knows what he is doing and if you engage him - he might talk more with you.
I insisted that even if it's a Sunday ( only one day off for clinic ),a holiday - I need to meet Dr Bhatti regardless to calm me down, give me peace of mind, discuss my Q&A otherwise I cant jump into operation day tomorrow on Monday.
Dr Bhatti added me to his whats app rightafter, messaged me that he will come to hotel lobby around 7 pm and he arrived.
We met at the restaurant, he told me to take off my baseball cap , showed him my condition, had a quick Q&A with him ( i had a long printout of questions lol ) , he handed over medicines that i need to take with dinner ( 5 tabs ).
finally, I was relaxed after meet up F2F and enjoyed my first night, dinner and slept well.
Overall, clinic delivered on their commitments and Shera also delivered on his promises for my preop journey. Full marks here.
DURING OP - INSIDE OT - DAY 0
Clinic sent their driver at 7:30 am to pick me up, by 8:00 am - I was in their blood work room ( clothes changed to OT clothes, valuables handed over, met shalini first time, shoes taken off. Very organised process, well oiled machinery and the staff was all there to meet and greet me. Driver, staff, nurses, hotel staff - all courteous, attentive and caring.
Some other reviewer mentioned - "In turkey, in majority of clinics you enter - you see 15 patients, 1 staff member. At Darling buds India, he saw himself as the ONLY patient and 15 staff members all to welcome him, take care of him and are dedicated to his surgery for the entire day " This was the case for me also
so I was very happy as I asked to ensure if I am the only patient today, they said YES.
3 nurses came right after, two asked me if I am ok with needles as they need to take some blood samples.
Took blood in 2 separate tubes as 1 for regular check up, 2nd for my PRP injection ( yes, it was a part of my package )
No time waste, then I was sent to reception area - meet and greet, then off to Dr Bhatti's office. He welcomed me again, some small chats, my Q&A again, he gave me realistic expectations, drew hairline an inch higher than my normal as I'm not in my 20s, rather hitting 40s soon which I agreed with ,he said no temple work required ( also agreed) , took some high resolution pictures from all angles.
Then I was sent to next team - 2 ladies shampooed me , some antiseptic spray. Then Dr Bhatti personally trimmed my hair feeling them, their direction ( asked specifically not to cut them a month prior to surgery ) . In turkey, people see doctors for hairline session only, once done 15 minutes, NEVER AGAIN - I heard stories that are scary. Here, Dr Bhatti is telling me what he is about to do before every step. He said go inside OT.
INSIDE OT - There were 6-7 nurses, all masked, couldn't see their faces, heads covered, gloves on ( stressing on this because in Turkish clinics where I was sold at one point, even most clinics posted their own OT pics on their websites where no gloves, face masks or microscope helmets during live patient's operations )
3 girls at least had microscope helmets ON additionally with other gear. We joked a little, they welcomed me, said " Sir, dont you worry ). I asked about my blood test results if I am diabetic, high BP or any red flags are there... If yes, i am running back to canada and get SMP instead if surgery might kill me lol . They assured me i am all healthy and all HIV, Hep C, Hep B, Diabetic, High blood pressure results are negative. My heart said a big " Thank you god "
One nurse put on Blood pressure jacket on my right upper arm, other inserted a small injectible tube on my left hand with tapes. 3rd nurse set up heart rate monitoring system with my first finger connected. They said these 3 components will be connected throughout the operation ( I was relieved as heart pulse, blood pressure should be monitored constantly during any surgery )
Dr. Bhatti enters with his combat gear on, helmet on lol.... explain what and how he's planning to do things on me today, next steps, to advise him if I need more anesthesia or feel any bit of pain.
My surprise - Anesthesia was the scariest part for me, I was willing to pay extra 250 Euros to one Turkish clinic once for pressured gun ( needle less) . BUT, at darling buds - i later found out that they use 4 techniques - one nurse will bring a special icepack, other uses tapping on your head, 3rd controls your body/hand for heart monitoring and some accupressure technique and Dr Bhatti inserted the first injection in my head with anesthesia . I wasn't expecting that less of a discomfort, minor stingy feeling and here goes the next one, next and within 5 mins - first part of donor area was numb. Dr. said he will start using motorized punch ( i think 0.8 mm ) but to tell him if I feel anything. I felt nothing, some noise like a electric toothbrush. In between, you do feel some minor discomfort but that's a given. Bear it.
It is like an endurance test for many humans
Before I knew or was sleepy, half dizzy time flies by and donor harvesting was done - 2870 scalp donor grafts were taken out and 429 beard grafts after that.
Breakdown below:
236 singles
2052 doubles
1011 triples
Grand total: 3299 grafts equals to appox. 7500 new hair . Also, my existing couple of hundred hair if survive the shock loss, it will be almost 8000 hairs on my central part. Praying and hoping this is true when the time comes
Then , relaxing time, some nice pizza, coke was served, in between water served if you feel thirsty. Lots of people joining hands inside OT, going out/in. Lots of multitasking happening as I could feel. During lunch, I was feeling a bit weak after harvesting due to the posture my body was in for the past 3 hours, it was obvious. plus that anesthetic and sedation used will add to the dizziness, weakness. A Senior Veteran visited me inside OT, i knew he was the dedicated anesthetist ONSITE that Dr Bhatti always advertised about making his clinic different than most others. This man asked me if I am okay, need anything, how is my head /body feeling. This MAN seems to know what he's doing and talking about.
Seems like one of the most experienced Anesthetist, so a visit from him gave me more energy and I was fine after few bites into that veggie pizza ( that you pre- select before operation from the menu )
Then, Incision part that was relatively easy and comfortable. Dr. Bhatti performed himself all the incisions, we talked about many topics at a high level like Dr. Feller's post here, DHT, Needleless anethesia etc. Then, Nurses started implanting my invaluable grafts that were preserved in PRP + Stem cell liquid. Both had microscopes on.
I felt no pain, really numb on my front scalp. The nurses seems to know what they are doing, I felt comfy to be in experienced hands. Dr. Bhatti was constantly visiting back and forth, asking if I am okay etc making sure the work is done nicely and patient is comfortable with no fatigue, dizziness, weakness or in any kind of pain.
Dr. Bhatti did performed himself all those pieces that were promised - Hair trimming, Anesthesia ( all ), FUEextractions ( ALL - scalp and beard),INCISIONS ( all 3299 )
Worth mentioning - Dr Bhatti's nurses were extremely caring, when I was alone with them I felt no need to ask for Doctor.
They have done major surgeries, thousands of satisfied celebrity clients but still they were treating me like I am the special, their first ever client in OT. They continuously monitored my heart rate, in between several times when I am too relaxed or half asleep, I hear a voice " Sir, please make sure not fall asleep. Please take long breaths, your breaths are going short now. Take longer ones now " Very caring every moment for those 3-4 hours during implantation, then as soon as I hear this voice, i start taking longer breaths, heart rate monitor started beeping slower and back to normal.
so you kind of get used to your own heart rate pumping and are told to constantly manage 90 beats or so ( as I was told its getting less than 90 if I remember correctly),once its more than 90 - they said "you're back Sir "
You're dehydrated for sure by the end, so make sure to drink water ( not too much also as one should try to avoid going to washroom often)
Kudos to the nurses who implanted all my grafts, very caring, experienced. One nurse constantly changed heart rate setting to middle finger, then to the first one again to monitor the average or if one's getting loose with time, re-calibrate again.
They asked me tea, biscuits. I confused them with a Yes, no, yes, no as a part of me wanted to eat , drink but another part of me wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Last part was crown implantation, before starting Dr Bhatti came in again and inserted my PRP injection into many crown areas. Then I was made to sit on a chair, face inserted downwards, girls were giggling, joking about each other's grafts and their chosen territories on my scalp.
They kept on ordering their junior nurse / subordinates in OT to bring a single, now double, to put some beard ones now, to spray saline water all over now. They acted like a doctor ( no joke ) very commanding, good leadership qualities, delegating to their junior staff to focus on particular areas ( I think it was poonam, one other I forgot her name as I specifically asked 4 times for my review lol , should've written them down)
finally, by 6 pm ( 8 hours - 10 am to 6 pm inside OT) , all 3299 grafts were implanted. A long breath of relief, I was fine.
Got out, next to mirror they sat me down. 2 nurses and Dr Bhatti bandaged/lubed my donor area nicely. They only day 0 night instructions were provided and only a few medicines for that particular night were given to me to be taken with dinner ( they make sure not to overwhelm you with post op care right after surgery ) . Dr Bhatti advised his driver to take me back to the hotel and next morning 9 am to pick me up again on day 1 to remove front bandages/ swap back ones.
by 7 pm I was back in my room, was feeling proud of myself. I was like YAY, i am alive, healthy, got this done.
I went into a state of mental Euphoria , ordered some delicious food thru room service, my neck travel pillow on, medicines with dinner, took some pics, thanked God, showed some gratitude and slept upright on the hotel chair.
POST OP
Another good thing about this clinic ( hard to find elsewhere) is that as long as you are staying in Chandigarh, they will keep on sending driver for pick up/drop off back to clinic, for everyday care, wash, bandage removal, bandage swap, Doctor interaction, Q &A, billing discrepancy ( if any ).
One thing I was impressed with - I never paid for the procedure until after 6 pm on OT day ( most clinics and Darling buds included will ask to pay entire amount before procedure starts) , may be my day was a Monday and everything was planned to save time accordingly. But, this goes to show that clinic is not after payment only. They are concentrated on patient first, yes payment is important which we took care of later. I was quoted to pay 248,000 INR for 3500 grafts initially but after operation, I had a bill of 230,000 INR for 3299 grafts only as presented by Shalini.
Clinic's post OP booklet, meds, shampoo, explanation, driver's extra care while making sure you dont bump your head with car door while getting in/out, all goodies - TOPNOTCH experience.
I also purchased for 140 $ - 6 months supply of minoxidil, finas, biotin .
Shera always called day/night to make sure I am fine, all my issues, doubts ( if any) are taken care of, they don't just leave you after operation. It's a constant touch with the clinic over the next few days. I met Dr Bhatti on Day 0, 1, 3 and 4.
Reputed Doctors mostly charge for consultation half hour( 300 $ in Canada) for you just to be present in their cabin. Here I am sitting with Dr. Bhatti on Day 4th having a coffee, talking about DHI vs FUE vs DHT. His eyes lit up when you talk about HT, it seems this doctor lives and breathes HT only, his entire focus, study, energy level and most importantly passion oozes out of his eyes and body language clearly demonstrating that he is driven to make sure his clinic succeeds, he stays reputed or gain even more reputation.
Clinic truly focuses on " Happy clients" than short term gains , they make sure you leave this experience with a smile on your face and no regrets/hard feelings even if a tiny bit, they dont waste time in resolving that matter for you in seconds.
No arguments, if you're not satisfied with something - talk to clinic staff - Sonam or Shalini ( best girls, very caring) or directly with Shera or Dr Bhatti and they will make sure it's resolved.
The day of my flight ( day 5th ),another driver in a 3rd car was sent to pick me up who only drives nurses bus or clinic staff. He said the 2 regular drivers are both busy but he was on time. They dont forget about your flight, who's leaving, who's coming in. Its like an army style operation.
I met 2 other patients during my checkout at hotel lobby - one British and one Indian folk, the three of us had a good chat about clinic. Goes to show that this clinic is expanding over the last 10 years, have a global outreach, patients from all corners of the world you could see landing there.
A special shout out to Shera - even after my return, he is in constant touch with me on whats app, guiding me moving forward, also without me asking : said that clinic will standby my results if not satisfactory after 6 months.
This gave me reassuring answers to the burning questions in my mind :
Why is this the clinic I chose, Why it's reputed in the first place and Why Darling buds made a name for themselves !!!
I now feel that I know the answer to these Why's - Everyone in the staff, Doctor, patient rep, driver, even the coffee man will provide you with best possible customer service.
My Rating - Staff/Nurses - 10/10 ( you can't ignore the importance of a great OT staff who also operates on your head)
Drivers - 10/10
Shera ( patient rep) - 10/10
Dr. Bhatti - 9/10
I will give 9.5 to Doctor ONLY once/if I see some satisfactory results in the coming 6 -12 months
and will officially only sign off Dr Bhatti as the chosen one if my results are good.
Doctors should always be scrutinized more with strict marking initially so they continue to research, evolve, learn, adapt and improve their overall services for future patients.
Rest assured, I know as a patient we have important part to play now - strict diet, all meds, exercise, no smoking, no alcohol, dermarolling, biotin, finas, minox , sleep, positive mind set, drinking water, cleaning scalp, sleep and the list goes on...............................................................
You just name it and will find me doing it ..... I want to give this my best shot ( only thing no one knows as to how many grafts were damaged, bulbs, roots were crushed under forceps, not inserted properly, not extracted properly, not angled properly, singles not checked for frontal hairlines, how my 429 beard grafts will blend nicely with 2870 scalp grafts - will they or will they not )
I am not saying any of the stuff above holds true about my experience with Darling buds but as they say :
" Results matter" and " Time will Tell"
Lurker here just like I was on HRN where I posted my original review and experience to share with the community. Thought of sharing the same here if this minor contribution could help anyone in anyway possible.
Here's my experience ( not so detailed LOL ) - PRE OP, During OP and POST OP as this might help some folks who are on the fence like I was before I met Darling buds team
and for folks who would like to live the experience thru someone else's eyes ( I always wanted similar insight before making a decision like Lennney's recent review really helped me ) Special thanks @Lennney
I'd most likely post a new thread later ( as this thread got sidetracked now) with additional details as I recall them and add constructive feedback for the clinic ( if any)
PREOP
Landed at Delhi airport on Sunday 1:00 am - 17th march , some minor hiccups but finally took cab for decent price to Chandigarh ( 3 hour journey only night time, no traffic and we stopped to eat on the way at a famous restaurant).
It was OLA cab ( a famous Uber India competitor with safe driver, i pad, WiFi all provided ) safety-wise, car was restricted with 80 km/hr max speed as per OLA's policy, so i felt much safer
Reached Glades hotel ( prebooked for 5 nights by clinic rep ) at early morning, they gave me the best corner suite front facing with high back chairs that are required for sleeping after operation. It was premium room, the best this hotel offers
Took shower, settled in, got a call from Shalini ( clinic's team lead ),she was very much concerned about how my journey was, was asking the right questions, she had called hotel previously also to inquire why I haven't arrived yet. Very professional lady, said take some rest, Dr. bhatti will meet me in the evening as initially we were supposed to meet 10:30 am but later she changed it to 6 pm.
I was impressed with clinic's approach, flexibility and was feeling positive assuming from there ... now i am in their city, in their hands and they will take good care of my needs, will plan everything for me. This assumption turned into reality in the coming days.
As soon as I checked into my room, Patient rep from England called me. I was delighted to see Shera is keeping an eye on my every movement to ensure I am safe, sound and happy with the hotel. He told me to rest assured me that Doctor will meet me the same night. I bumped into 2 patients at the hotel lobby - one south indian gentleman with his wife ( who was taking good care of him) and one from Netherlands - a tall caucasian fellow with black bandana on. Both assured me that I am in safe hands for my tomorrow's session. Talking with patients who were just done with their surgery, it gave me some more peace of mind. They only gave me positive feedback, nothing negative. One fellow did mentioned that Dr Bhatti doesn't talk much, will just answer if you have any questions but likes to move on fast as a high energy doctor. But at the same time, he said his operation was flawless, Dr Bhatti knows what he is doing and if you engage him - he might talk more with you.
I insisted that even if it's a Sunday ( only one day off for clinic ),a holiday - I need to meet Dr Bhatti regardless to calm me down, give me peace of mind, discuss my Q&A otherwise I cant jump into operation day tomorrow on Monday.
Dr Bhatti added me to his whats app rightafter, messaged me that he will come to hotel lobby around 7 pm and he arrived.
We met at the restaurant, he told me to take off my baseball cap , showed him my condition, had a quick Q&A with him ( i had a long printout of questions lol ) , he handed over medicines that i need to take with dinner ( 5 tabs ).
finally, I was relaxed after meet up F2F and enjoyed my first night, dinner and slept well.
Overall, clinic delivered on their commitments and Shera also delivered on his promises for my preop journey. Full marks here.
DURING OP - INSIDE OT - DAY 0
Clinic sent their driver at 7:30 am to pick me up, by 8:00 am - I was in their blood work room ( clothes changed to OT clothes, valuables handed over, met shalini first time, shoes taken off. Very organised process, well oiled machinery and the staff was all there to meet and greet me. Driver, staff, nurses, hotel staff - all courteous, attentive and caring.
Some other reviewer mentioned - "In turkey, in majority of clinics you enter - you see 15 patients, 1 staff member. At Darling buds India, he saw himself as the ONLY patient and 15 staff members all to welcome him, take care of him and are dedicated to his surgery for the entire day " This was the case for me also
3 nurses came right after, two asked me if I am ok with needles as they need to take some blood samples.
Took blood in 2 separate tubes as 1 for regular check up, 2nd for my PRP injection ( yes, it was a part of my package )
No time waste, then I was sent to reception area - meet and greet, then off to Dr Bhatti's office. He welcomed me again, some small chats, my Q&A again, he gave me realistic expectations, drew hairline an inch higher than my normal as I'm not in my 20s, rather hitting 40s soon which I agreed with ,he said no temple work required ( also agreed) , took some high resolution pictures from all angles.
Then I was sent to next team - 2 ladies shampooed me , some antiseptic spray. Then Dr Bhatti personally trimmed my hair feeling them, their direction ( asked specifically not to cut them a month prior to surgery ) . In turkey, people see doctors for hairline session only, once done 15 minutes, NEVER AGAIN - I heard stories that are scary. Here, Dr Bhatti is telling me what he is about to do before every step. He said go inside OT.
INSIDE OT - There were 6-7 nurses, all masked, couldn't see their faces, heads covered, gloves on ( stressing on this because in Turkish clinics where I was sold at one point, even most clinics posted their own OT pics on their websites where no gloves, face masks or microscope helmets during live patient's operations )
3 girls at least had microscope helmets ON additionally with other gear. We joked a little, they welcomed me, said " Sir, dont you worry ). I asked about my blood test results if I am diabetic, high BP or any red flags are there... If yes, i am running back to canada and get SMP instead if surgery might kill me lol . They assured me i am all healthy and all HIV, Hep C, Hep B, Diabetic, High blood pressure results are negative. My heart said a big " Thank you god "
One nurse put on Blood pressure jacket on my right upper arm, other inserted a small injectible tube on my left hand with tapes. 3rd nurse set up heart rate monitoring system with my first finger connected. They said these 3 components will be connected throughout the operation ( I was relieved as heart pulse, blood pressure should be monitored constantly during any surgery )
Dr. Bhatti enters with his combat gear on, helmet on lol.... explain what and how he's planning to do things on me today, next steps, to advise him if I need more anesthesia or feel any bit of pain.
My surprise - Anesthesia was the scariest part for me, I was willing to pay extra 250 Euros to one Turkish clinic once for pressured gun ( needle less) . BUT, at darling buds - i later found out that they use 4 techniques - one nurse will bring a special icepack, other uses tapping on your head, 3rd controls your body/hand for heart monitoring and some accupressure technique and Dr Bhatti inserted the first injection in my head with anesthesia . I wasn't expecting that less of a discomfort, minor stingy feeling and here goes the next one, next and within 5 mins - first part of donor area was numb. Dr. said he will start using motorized punch ( i think 0.8 mm ) but to tell him if I feel anything. I felt nothing, some noise like a electric toothbrush. In between, you do feel some minor discomfort but that's a given. Bear it.
It is like an endurance test for many humans
Breakdown below:
236 singles
2052 doubles
1011 triples
Grand total: 3299 grafts equals to appox. 7500 new hair . Also, my existing couple of hundred hair if survive the shock loss, it will be almost 8000 hairs on my central part. Praying and hoping this is true when the time comes
Then , relaxing time, some nice pizza, coke was served, in between water served if you feel thirsty. Lots of people joining hands inside OT, going out/in. Lots of multitasking happening as I could feel. During lunch, I was feeling a bit weak after harvesting due to the posture my body was in for the past 3 hours, it was obvious. plus that anesthetic and sedation used will add to the dizziness, weakness. A Senior Veteran visited me inside OT, i knew he was the dedicated anesthetist ONSITE that Dr Bhatti always advertised about making his clinic different than most others. This man asked me if I am okay, need anything, how is my head /body feeling. This MAN seems to know what he's doing and talking about.
Seems like one of the most experienced Anesthetist, so a visit from him gave me more energy and I was fine after few bites into that veggie pizza ( that you pre- select before operation from the menu )
Then, Incision part that was relatively easy and comfortable. Dr. Bhatti performed himself all the incisions, we talked about many topics at a high level like Dr. Feller's post here, DHT, Needleless anethesia etc. Then, Nurses started implanting my invaluable grafts that were preserved in PRP + Stem cell liquid. Both had microscopes on.
I felt no pain, really numb on my front scalp. The nurses seems to know what they are doing, I felt comfy to be in experienced hands. Dr. Bhatti was constantly visiting back and forth, asking if I am okay etc making sure the work is done nicely and patient is comfortable with no fatigue, dizziness, weakness or in any kind of pain.
Dr. Bhatti did performed himself all those pieces that were promised - Hair trimming, Anesthesia ( all ), FUEextractions ( ALL - scalp and beard),INCISIONS ( all 3299 )
Worth mentioning - Dr Bhatti's nurses were extremely caring, when I was alone with them I felt no need to ask for Doctor.
They have done major surgeries, thousands of satisfied celebrity clients but still they were treating me like I am the special, their first ever client in OT. They continuously monitored my heart rate, in between several times when I am too relaxed or half asleep, I hear a voice " Sir, please make sure not fall asleep. Please take long breaths, your breaths are going short now. Take longer ones now " Very caring every moment for those 3-4 hours during implantation, then as soon as I hear this voice, i start taking longer breaths, heart rate monitor started beeping slower and back to normal.
so you kind of get used to your own heart rate pumping and are told to constantly manage 90 beats or so ( as I was told its getting less than 90 if I remember correctly),once its more than 90 - they said "you're back Sir "
You're dehydrated for sure by the end, so make sure to drink water ( not too much also as one should try to avoid going to washroom often)
Kudos to the nurses who implanted all my grafts, very caring, experienced. One nurse constantly changed heart rate setting to middle finger, then to the first one again to monitor the average or if one's getting loose with time, re-calibrate again.
They asked me tea, biscuits. I confused them with a Yes, no, yes, no as a part of me wanted to eat , drink but another part of me wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Last part was crown implantation, before starting Dr Bhatti came in again and inserted my PRP injection into many crown areas. Then I was made to sit on a chair, face inserted downwards, girls were giggling, joking about each other's grafts and their chosen territories on my scalp.
They kept on ordering their junior nurse / subordinates in OT to bring a single, now double, to put some beard ones now, to spray saline water all over now. They acted like a doctor ( no joke ) very commanding, good leadership qualities, delegating to their junior staff to focus on particular areas ( I think it was poonam, one other I forgot her name as I specifically asked 4 times for my review lol , should've written them down)
finally, by 6 pm ( 8 hours - 10 am to 6 pm inside OT) , all 3299 grafts were implanted. A long breath of relief, I was fine.
Got out, next to mirror they sat me down. 2 nurses and Dr Bhatti bandaged/lubed my donor area nicely. They only day 0 night instructions were provided and only a few medicines for that particular night were given to me to be taken with dinner ( they make sure not to overwhelm you with post op care right after surgery ) . Dr Bhatti advised his driver to take me back to the hotel and next morning 9 am to pick me up again on day 1 to remove front bandages/ swap back ones.
by 7 pm I was back in my room, was feeling proud of myself. I was like YAY, i am alive, healthy, got this done.
I went into a state of mental Euphoria , ordered some delicious food thru room service, my neck travel pillow on, medicines with dinner, took some pics, thanked God, showed some gratitude and slept upright on the hotel chair.
POST OP
Another good thing about this clinic ( hard to find elsewhere) is that as long as you are staying in Chandigarh, they will keep on sending driver for pick up/drop off back to clinic, for everyday care, wash, bandage removal, bandage swap, Doctor interaction, Q &A, billing discrepancy ( if any ).
One thing I was impressed with - I never paid for the procedure until after 6 pm on OT day ( most clinics and Darling buds included will ask to pay entire amount before procedure starts) , may be my day was a Monday and everything was planned to save time accordingly. But, this goes to show that clinic is not after payment only. They are concentrated on patient first, yes payment is important which we took care of later. I was quoted to pay 248,000 INR for 3500 grafts initially but after operation, I had a bill of 230,000 INR for 3299 grafts only as presented by Shalini.
Clinic's post OP booklet, meds, shampoo, explanation, driver's extra care while making sure you dont bump your head with car door while getting in/out, all goodies - TOPNOTCH experience.
I also purchased for 140 $ - 6 months supply of minoxidil, finas, biotin .
Shera always called day/night to make sure I am fine, all my issues, doubts ( if any) are taken care of, they don't just leave you after operation. It's a constant touch with the clinic over the next few days. I met Dr Bhatti on Day 0, 1, 3 and 4.
Reputed Doctors mostly charge for consultation half hour( 300 $ in Canada) for you just to be present in their cabin. Here I am sitting with Dr. Bhatti on Day 4th having a coffee, talking about DHI vs FUE vs DHT. His eyes lit up when you talk about HT, it seems this doctor lives and breathes HT only, his entire focus, study, energy level and most importantly passion oozes out of his eyes and body language clearly demonstrating that he is driven to make sure his clinic succeeds, he stays reputed or gain even more reputation.
Clinic truly focuses on " Happy clients" than short term gains , they make sure you leave this experience with a smile on your face and no regrets/hard feelings even if a tiny bit, they dont waste time in resolving that matter for you in seconds.
No arguments, if you're not satisfied with something - talk to clinic staff - Sonam or Shalini ( best girls, very caring) or directly with Shera or Dr Bhatti and they will make sure it's resolved.
The day of my flight ( day 5th ),another driver in a 3rd car was sent to pick me up who only drives nurses bus or clinic staff. He said the 2 regular drivers are both busy but he was on time. They dont forget about your flight, who's leaving, who's coming in. Its like an army style operation.
I met 2 other patients during my checkout at hotel lobby - one British and one Indian folk, the three of us had a good chat about clinic. Goes to show that this clinic is expanding over the last 10 years, have a global outreach, patients from all corners of the world you could see landing there.
A special shout out to Shera - even after my return, he is in constant touch with me on whats app, guiding me moving forward, also without me asking : said that clinic will standby my results if not satisfactory after 6 months.
This gave me reassuring answers to the burning questions in my mind :
Why is this the clinic I chose, Why it's reputed in the first place and Why Darling buds made a name for themselves !!!
I now feel that I know the answer to these Why's - Everyone in the staff, Doctor, patient rep, driver, even the coffee man will provide you with best possible customer service.
My Rating - Staff/Nurses - 10/10 ( you can't ignore the importance of a great OT staff who also operates on your head)
Drivers - 10/10
Shera ( patient rep) - 10/10
Dr. Bhatti - 9/10
I will give 9.5 to Doctor ONLY once/if I see some satisfactory results in the coming 6 -12 months
Doctors should always be scrutinized more with strict marking initially so they continue to research, evolve, learn, adapt and improve their overall services for future patients.
Rest assured, I know as a patient we have important part to play now - strict diet, all meds, exercise, no smoking, no alcohol, dermarolling, biotin, finas, minox , sleep, positive mind set, drinking water, cleaning scalp, sleep and the list goes on...............................................................
You just name it and will find me doing it ..... I want to give this my best shot ( only thing no one knows as to how many grafts were damaged, bulbs, roots were crushed under forceps, not inserted properly, not extracted properly, not angled properly, singles not checked for frontal hairlines, how my 429 beard grafts will blend nicely with 2870 scalp grafts - will they or will they not )
I am not saying any of the stuff above holds true about my experience with Darling buds but as they say :
" Results matter" and " Time will Tell"