Hi all,

First time post here.

After searching through the forums here I had a consultation with Dr. Konior, Dr. Keller and couple of others outside of IL. Due to timing and work related issues - I have to opt for a doctor in IL.

The whole experience with Dr. Konior & his office manager Tom, kinda turned me off [Konior hardly took any time to talk - Tom did most of the talking that came mostly as a sales pitch etc]. Discussions with the referrals they gave also didn't do anything to boost my comfort level.

My discussions with Dr. Keller and the patients he referred on the other hand was very positive. However, I am concerned that he doesnt have enough of a reputation on this board.

Apart from couple of thoughts from Falc, and some glowing comments from 'The Goz', I haven't read any actual patient experiences. If anything, I see some of the questions some members asked in 2007 about some of the photos Dr. Keller posted still seems to be unanswered.

Although this forum recommends Dr. Keller, I'd love to hear about any forum members who has had any experience with this Doctor. Any body?

My second question is more generic. How do you go about researching a doctor? So far, I have attempted to research them on-line, verified their iahrs status and talked to some of their patients. What else should I do?

Thx in advance.

Al

Hey Alex . I live here in Illinois and also went to Dr Konior for a visit . I felt the same way you did when I left, especially about Toms sales pitch
I ended up going to another state because I wasnt willing to go to anyone else in Illinois.
I actually even came on here and dogged out Dr Konior a few times.. Not because of his work but because of of the consultation.

Boy was I wrong about the doctor. Since that time Ive come to know the doctor .
He was personally hurt that I felt that way about his clinic and even gave me his home telephone number to hear my complaints.
The man is extremely passionate about his work . He not only does tremendous work but is there from start to finish planting all ,or the majority of grafts . Thats something you dont see much.
When you say he didnt stay long I also felt that way but I came to find out after alot on consults that doctors are WAY too busy too spend hours with guys that are just looking for answers that their consultants can easily answer.
Dr Konior has sent me at least 5 emails inviting me to just stop by and talk about this whole hair industry thing. Any question Ive asked hes answered .
Im not looking for anymore work, yet hes offerered just to sit down and talk .
Hes was even thinking about getting a bunch of guys together and discussing hair transplants.
I know one thing Dr Konior will not do you wrong in ANY single way. . Ive called out alot of doctors on here but he is one I was 100% wrong about ,and regret. He is as pasionate and down to earth as they come.
I dont know anything about Dr Keller but there are only two doctors I would trust and feel comfortable with and that would be my surgeon Dr Shapiro and Dr Konior.
His hairlines are some of the most natural ones out there.
You might of caught Dr Konior on a super busy day and I understand the Tom thing ,but Tom is just an intelligent hair nerd that is harmless. Tom never pressured me but the consult seemed a little scripted.
Dont give up on Oakbrook because you have an elite surgeon that could change your life.

Alex,

I'm sorry that you feel you had a bad experience during your consult with Dr. Konior and Tom. I believe Dr. Konior is very passionate about what he does and thrives on being thorough and patient education.

Likewise, I believe Dr. Keller does quality work, but agree that his work displayed online is somewhat limited. I expect that he will be presenting additional examples of his work on a somewhat regular basis in the near future. In the meantime, if you are considering him, ask him for patient referrals and ask to look through his patient photo album.

Researching a physician can be done on and offline. Firstly, it's important that you have an idea how hair transplant surgery works and what to expect during and after surgery and develop realistic expectations. You can do this by asking questions, looking through patient results, consulting with physicians, etc. Who you choose will ultimately be up to you.

I hope this helps.

Falc

Thanks for your insight on Dr. Konior, PGP. Kinda unsure about reengaging with them. Anyways, I appreciate your taking the time to give some valuable feedback.

Falc, thanks for the comments about both Dr. Keller and Dr. Konior. One question though - According to the post on how this forum selects Drs for recommendations - you collect input from ' thousands ' of patients. Would this be true for Dr. Keller as well - since he is recommended by y'all?

He did share his album and the pictures look comparable to what I have seen posted on this and other forums as 'best' - at least to my untrained eye. My trouble is in ensuring that these were indeed his work. I'd rather have some more direct feedback from people (in addition to the cpl of referrals he gladly provided) who has reviewed or experienced his work.

Hence my question to this forum.

Thanks again guys.

Al

AlexChicago,

The statement you are referring to is this one:

"This recommendation process is collaborative and involves input from the thousands of patients who have visited our community over the past ten years"

This is referring to our patient community as a whole and the feedback that has been given on physicians over the last 10 years.

We carefully prescreen surgeons and evaluate their experience, surgical techniques, staff, and results. Specific to your question, Dr. Keller has been prescreened by this community and we feel that he meets our high level of recommendation standards.

I believe our recommendations are solid however, this does not exempt you from doing your own research and finding a surgeon that is right for you.

Consult with each physician, look through photos presented on and offline, and ultimately select a surgeon who impresses you.

Best wishes,

Falc

Alex, you should feel at home the entire time during a consult.

However, you should only be consulting with docs who have YEARS of results, many, many happy patients AND have achieved some transparency within the online community.

Dr. Konier certainly fits that bill--I would encourage you to email him directly, with your feelings--trust me when I tell you this information is appreciated--every good business needs happy customers.

I would tell you that you should expand your search beyond Chicago---but that would include perhaps reconsulting with Dr. Konier--regardless of whether or not you choose Dr. Konier, he will be glad to have your feedback.

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you need... as you can see we have many great people here willing to help out!

Take Care,
Jason

quote:

However, you should only be consulting with docs who have YEARS of results, many, many happy patients AND have achieved some transparency within the online community.

Jason,

Whereas I totally agree with you about Dr. Konior's first rate work and high level of consistency, your last post appears to suggest that Dr. Keller doesn't have years of experience and has no level of transparency.

If you recall, Dr. Keller also went through our transparent recommendation process and had his photos critiqued by forum members.

He also has been performing exclusive hair transplant surgery with over 6 years of experience. His experience, credentials, and patient photos can be found on his doctor profile.

Regards,

Falc

Falc, my post did nothing of the sort.

It is the same advice I would give anyone, regardless of the doctors mentioned---to select the BEST docs, period. That means going through the process described.

You and Pat do the recommending, not me. I simply want people to look outside their comfort zone and go the best docs, that is all.

In the interests of fairness, I would ask you to remove your post because I do not want people to assume that what you write is true... that I dislike Dr. Keller--that is not the case.

However, Alex himself noted the lack of patient experiences and few photos, which is true--and this is a completely neutral comment.

In time I am sure Dr. Keller will post many patient photos and have happy patients post here.

This is neither my problem nor my concern.

My concern is simply to make sure Alex does great research and I would like to see him recontact Dr. Konier, no more no less.

I am certainly happy he is leaning on this community and if that lead him to Dr. Keller, great...and I hope to see his progress.

I apologize if you inferred a negative from my post, but it was not my intention.

Jason

Hi Alex,

I had a positive experience with Dr. Konior and have also read good things about Dr. Keller, it seems both are top flight HT surgeons, however, its as important to know which is best at what you are desiring to have done as it is to determine which doctor is best suited for you, my point is dont let a negative visit trump experience.

If you feel Dr. Keller can deliver than he wins based on your comfort level with him. Just make sure whoever you choose is best for what you want done. Many people say "dont let geography limit your choices" and that is always excellent advice. It's not that hard to wear a ballcap on an airplane. Researching a decision as important as this one shouldnt be limited to whoever is closest to you.

My .02

Jason,

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I think your explanation was both understandable and reasonable.

I think leaving both our posts will add more clarity to members and guests reading than removing them. Anyone else who may have had the same concern can rest easy based on your explanation given.

Best wishes,

Falc

No prob Falc, sounds good to me

Take Care,
Jason

Wow - Thanks for all your advice guys. Your comments and advice makes sense.

I will certainly make an attempt at one or two more recommended doctors outside Chicago incl: Dr. Konior.

I'll keep y'all posted even if this is gong to take longer than I expected :-)

I emailed Dr, Konior regarding a future FUE session for my donor scar. HE replied later that day, responding to all my concerns in a lengthy email. Even though Im not scheduled to meet with him for a couple months, I was impressed with his timely and heartfelt response.

quote:

Originally posted by AlexChicago:

My discussions with Dr. Keller and the patients he referred on the other hand was very positive. However, I am concerned that he doesnt have enough of a reputation on this board.

Al

You spoke to the doctor, you spoke to the referrals and both were positive. What else do you really need. I am sure Dr. Keller can provide more referrals if that will make you more comfortable. He is a top hair restoration surgeon, just because he is a "new" doctor here, does not mean that he doesnot have the experience that you need. It just means that he has not seen a lot of members here. I sure not all of the doctors when they started here had everything, everone was looking for, except for the skills and experience.

Good luck with your decision

How about lots and lots and lots of pics.
Not saying Dr Keller doesnt have a hundred or so but most top docs do.
See how many final result pics he has.
If theres only 20 or so I would go elsewhere.
It means he either isnt all that good or too new for me.

I had a first time consultation with Konior on 7-25-08, he spent over an hour with me, Tom didn't give me any sales pitch, although he did when I called for the consultation. I also saw SMG on 7-02-08, Matt gave me quite a long and scripted sales pitch, although Ron and Paul both took a few minutes to look at me.

Take it for what it's worth, I'm sure they are both great docs.

Hey B-Spot what are the Shapiro's graft prices???

Like Dewayne said call them.
The reason its good to call a Shapiro or a Cooley or any doc is you can possibly work out a deal with some.
Get a discount for coming out of town .
Or if you take the place of someone that cancelled on short notice there usually is a substantial discount.
I believe Ron is 4 or 4.50. I forgot . I got more then I paid for I know that for sure.
PM Bspot as he may not read this