Hair Transplant Surgery - Choosing the Rigth Surgeon

The current technique of hair transplant surgery, combined with a large, qualified team and skilled hands, offers absolutely natural results, in addition to returning self esteem and the pleasure of living to many patients. Unfortunately, however, well into the 21st century, we still come across innumerous unsatisfactory cases, resulting from poorly conducted surgeries and/or a lack of surgical skills.

Just to give you an idea, in 2006, 45% of the surgeries performed by the Ruston Clinic were repair cases due to unaesthetic design, plugs, low density, damage or scars in the donor area, etc.

This concerns us because, in addition to the aesthetic and sometimes psychological harm done to the patient, it only takes one poorly performed case to discourage hundreds of other candidates from seeking hair transplant surgery.

Why does this still happen today?

We can state, without hesitation, that there is no surgery as complex as hair transplant surgery. That’s right, complex, this is the word that best defines this surgery and we will explain why.

First, we need a large surgical team, as megasessions are impossible with less than 6 trained persons (there are 8 on our team). No other surgery requires a team like this one.

The next factor is the frequency. If one does not have a frequent number of surgeries, it becomes impossible to train and maintain such a cohesive team.
In order to have frequency, one must achieve good results, as no marketing can make up for bad or unacceptable results.

In order to obtain good results, that are absolutely natural, a surgeon and his/her team must be passionate about this surgery, patient, maintain oneself and one’s team up to date, as well as pay attention to every detail.

Finally: what other surgery aligns highly sophisticated and microscopic technology with art and an aesthetic sense?

That’s right, in addition to training and maintaining a large and highly qualified team, traveling frequently to constantly update oneself on new techniques and materials (which evolve at an unbelievably fast rate), the surgeon who sets out to work in this area must think seriously about these, the most common, factors mentioned here as well many others necessary for the success of this surgery.

Today, after twelve years in this field, we understand why only one surgeon in one hundred who begins to work in this field actually continues.

Therefore, see the following tips to minimize your chances in making a bad choice for your hair transplant surgeon:

Basically, in order to perform hair transplant surgery joining naturalness and density, there are 6 things necessary:

1- Manual ability and aesthetic sense
2- Experience and frequency
3- Large, qualified team
4- Appropriate microscope and accompanying material
5- Scientific knowledge
6- Seriousness

Manual dexterity and aesthetic sense

This is not measurable, so the only means is to see the surgeon’s results, personally, or in photos. Request photos that are similar to your case. Make sure that the lighting is the same intensity and originating from the same direction in both the before and after photos, as well as the angle at which the patient is photographed.

Experience and frequency

Ask how long the surgeon has been performing the surgery, how many cases he or she has treated, and how many surgeries are performed per week. Those who perform this surgery every day have more ability than those who perform this surgery once a month, however, performing 4 surgeries per day and having done more than 10,000 in total does not mean anything. Quality is not directly related to quantity.

Large, qualified team

Ask the surgeon how many people make up the surgical team, how long the surgical procedure will take, and hold your surgeon to these responses provided on the day of surgery. To say that the team is composed of 8 and only have 3 show up is not a good sign.

Appropriate microscope and accompanying material

Ask the surgeon if microscopes are used to separate the follicular units. Today, it is unacceptable to use magnifying glasses or even the naked eye. Make certain you see this equipment on the day of surgery.

Scientific knowledge

Ask the surgeon if he or she is a member of some entity or society that studies hair loss and hair transplant surgery. The largest and most active is the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery www.ishrs.org. However, being a member and not participating in the congresses does not make for an up-to-date professional, because the techniques and equipment evolve quickly. Click here to see if your doctor belongs to ISHRS and how active he (she) is.
Insert his last name and click on “doctor details” and check how many meetings he (she) attended.

ISHRS Annual Meetings: X of Y total meetings attended

Then you will know if the surgeon is an acting member or not. This does not guarantee good results, but at least you will know that you are dealing with an up-to-date professional who should not commit serious errors.

Seriousness

We must understand that if the degree of expectation from the patient meets that which we can offer, the patient will be satisfied. However, if the expectation is greater than that which can be offered, the patient will be unsatisfied or frustrated, causing a serious and committed surgeon to also feel frustrated, with both the result and the satisfaction of his or her patient. Therefore, we never promise more than what we may offer our patients.
Doubt promises that are unfounded, the surgeon who says exactly how many FUs will be transplanted (this is impossible), the surgeon who tells you that everything is possible, the surgeon who does not dedicate and clarify all aspects about the technique and about the true expectations you must have as a patient.

CONCLUSION

Our wish is that this site may serve to educate potential patients, as a source of information about hair loss and hair transplant surgery, because this way it will be quite difficult for such patients to be fooled by false or bad professionals. The better patients are informed and oriented, the less likely they will be deceived.

It is sad to say, but for every good professional in this area there are at least 100 reckless or inexperienced professionals who are not prepared to perform this surgery and therefore may only offer results far inferior to those possible today. Such poor results from these professionals, unfortunately, only perpetuate the stigma that this surgery only provides artificial and unaesthetic results.

As good results are so natural and imperceptible that they become unidentifiable, only the bad results get noticed, perpetuating the “anti-marketing” of the technique. Only one artificial result is enough to discourage hundreds of potential patients.

It is necessary to end, once and for all, the false notion that hair transplant surgery only provides artificial and unaesthetic results. We are living in a new millennium, and today, with the advance of microscopic techniques combined with surgical art, it is fully possible, so long as the patient chooses the correct professional, to obtain absolutely natural and imperceptible results. These results return self-esteem and the pleasure of living not only to patients who are balding, but especially to those who experienced surgeries with old or inadequate techniques or who obtained unsatisfactory results.