quote:

Originally posted by nobuzz4me:
Well said NG,

I for one care more about a patients scalp than any doctor's reputation. This patient feels bad enough as it is with the poor HT result (so far), and should he now feel guilty for damaging a reputation? I cerainly hope not.

quote:

I have also talked to Dr. Epstein in detail and confirmed with a few other leading physicians including Dr. Ray Konior and Dr. Sharon Keene of the Coalition about the possibility of a hair piece slowing down or even more rarely stunting hair growth.

quote:

Originally posted by kevkristy:
Hairthere
I think I included the word "average" in Falc's quote. And I do understand that average does not include all.

However, 9 months is 9 months. No matter which way you slice it.

Additionally, I think my "experience" counts as much as yours, if not more. I'm the one going through the so-called "panic." So I can relate with TTDS.

It's a real sickening feeling.

I know by now, six full months post surgery, I thought for sure I'd be well on my way, enjoying spring (sans hat), excited about growth and looking forward to what's coming. And I'm sure TTDS feels similarly, possibly worse.

Hang in there TTDS. Let us know what you hear back from the doctor.
-KK

quote:

Originally posted by Jeffrey Epstein MD, FACS:
DEAR FORUM MEMBERS- I AM IN TOTAL SHOCK- HOW MY REPUTATION OVER THE COURSE OF 5 PAGES HAS GONE FROM ONE OF THE 2 OR 3 TOP SURGEONS IN THIS SPECIALTY TO ONE WHO NEARLY EVERY POSTER IS QUESTIONING MY INTEGRITY, MY DEVOTION TO MY WORK, AND MY WORK. THIS IS TRULY A TRAVESTY.

I HELD OFF ON ENTERING PUBLICLY THIS FORUM AFTER REPLYING TO MY PATIENT IN THE PROPER WAY A PHYSICIAN SHOULD- PRIVATELY AND WITH DEEP SINCERITY. I REASSURED THIS PATIENT THAT I DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF HIS LESS THAN EXPECTED HAIR GROWTH AT THIS TIME- BUT WAS CONSIDERING SEVERAL REASONS, THAT HE REPEATED- THE MAIN ONE BEING HIS CONTINUED WEARING OF THE HAIR PIECE. HOWEVER, THERE IS AN "X" FACTOR - THAT EVERY SINGLE COLLEAGUE OF MINE, EVERY ONE WHO IS PART OF THIS COALITION- HAS EXPERIENCED. THAT X FACTOR IS THE OCCASIONAL LOWER THAN EXPECTED RATE OF GROWTH THAT, DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS, OCCURS FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON- YES, PAT AND BILL ARE CORRECT IN THEORY- IT CAN BE DUE TO POOR GRAFT HANDLING OR DESSICATION (DRYING OUT).


HOWEVER, HERE IS MY POSITION.
I PERFORM 500 PROCEDURES EVERY YEAR- PERSONALLY, WITH THE SAME TEAM OF 15 ASSISTANTS I HAVE HAD WORKING WITH ME FOR YEARS- SEVERAL HAVE BEEN WITH ME FOR 10 TO 14 YEARS! THESE ARE THE SAME ASSISTANTS WHO WORKED ON JULY 4TH, 2007- ASSISTANTS WHO DO THEIR VERY BEST, UP TO THE VERY HIGHEST STANDARDS, EVERY SINGLE DAY. THERE WAS NO "I WISH I WAS SOMEWHERE ELSE?" THERE WAS NO "DRYING OUT OR MISHANDLING OF GRAFTS BY INEXPERIENCED ASSISTANTS" THERE WAS NO "DR. EPSTEIN IS COMPROMISING QUALITY".
AFTER ALMOST 15 YEARS OF PUTTING MY HEART AND SOUL INTO MY PRACTICE- TO WHERE PATIENTS KNOW THAT THEY WILL TREATED BY ONE OF THE BEST TRAINED, MOST DEMANDING SURGEONS IN THE FIELD- I HAVE EARNED MY PLACE AS ONE OF THE BUSIEST IN THE FIELD OF SURGICAL HAIR RESTORATION.
I INVITE YOU TO GO AHEAD AND ASK DRS. CHARLES, NUSBAUM, FELLER, SHAPIRO, BERNSTEIN, MEJIA, STOUGH, RASSMAN, HASSON, MCANDREWS, HABER, COOLEY, PARSLEY, KNUDSEN- EVERY ONE OF THEM, TO A TEE, KNOWS OF MY INTEGRITY AND THE QUALITY OF MY WORK.
I TRULY FEEL LIKE THIS THREAD HAS BECOME A WITCH HUNT- I THOUGHT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY HAPPENS IN POLITICS- AND I AM NOT A POLITICIAN, NOT "W' BUSH, NOT BILL CLINTON, NOT CHENEY, NOT OBAMA- RATHER A BOARD CERTIFIED FELLOWSHIP TRAINED FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEON, WHO SPECIALIZES IN THIS SPECIALTY PERFORMING 2 PROCEDURES EVERY DAY BECAUSE I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK, LOVE MY PATIENTS, AND AM REALLY TALENTED AT IT.

I INVITE EVERY ONE OF THE POSTERS ON THIS THREAD TO COME VISIT MY OFFICE. PAT HAS. TO SEE HOW I AND MY TEAM OF ASSISTANTS ALL WORK ON ONE PROCEDURE AT A TIME, EVERY ASSISTANT WITH 3 ICED PETRI DISHES INTO WHICH THEY PLACE EACH INDIVIDUAL 1, 2, AND 3 HAIR GRAFTS. HOW MY 6 "PLANTER" ASSISTANTS- EVERY ONE WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ME FOR A MINIMUM OF 4 YEARS, 5 OF WHOM HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THIS SPECIALTY FOR 7 TO 14 YEARS- PLACE EACH SINGLE GRAFT INTO THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE RECIPIENT SITES, SIZED 0.6 TO 0.8, OCCASIONALLY 0.9 MM IN SIZE, EVERY ONE THAT I PERSONALLY MAKE.

I AM TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESULTS THIS PATIENT HAS RECEIEVED, AND I TOLD HIM THAT. I ALSO TOLD HIM THAT, IN THOSE FEW CASES IN WHICH THIS HAPPENS, I WILL REPLACE THOSE GRAFTS THAT DO NOT GROW, AT NO CHARGE.
DO YOU REALIZE THE ILLOGICAL NATURE OF THE COMMENTS MADE HERE- SOME POSTERS ARE SAYING THAT 2500 GRAFTS IS TOO SMALL- INSINUATING THAT ONLY A FEW DOCTORS ARE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THESE STATE OF THE ART PROCEDURES. I HAVE IN FACT PERFORMED PROCEDURES OF AS LARGE AS 4300 GRAFTS- BUT FOR THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PATIENTS, 2400 TO 2800 GRAFTS SEEMS TO BE THE IDEAL NUMBER. NOT PLACING ENOUGH GRAFTS WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THIS PATIENT'S RELATIVELY DISAPPOINTING COVERAGE AT THIS 9 MONTH MARK- RATHER, HE HAS EXPERIENCED A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF GROWTH THAN EXPECTED.
JUST YESTERDAY I PERFORMED A SECOND PROCEDURE ON A MAN FROM SARASOTA- FIRST PROCEDURE I PERFORMED IN MID-SEPTEMBER, 2400 GRAFTS- AND AT 3 1/2 MONTHS HE HAD OUTSTANDING COVERAGE, AND YESTERDAY AT THE 7 MONTH MARK I DID A LITTLE FILLING IN UP FRONT WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK PLACED INTO THE MID SCALP AND CROWN REGION.
DID I DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT ON THIS PATIENT? NO.

I INVITE EVERY ONE OF YOU TO GO THROUGH MY WEBSITE- SEE THE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF PATIENTS' BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS. LOOK CLOSELY AT THE HAIRLINES, THE DENSITY, AND READ THE COMMENTS THAT MANY OF THESE PATIENTS HAVE MAILED INTO ME UNSOLICITED.

JUST 2 WEEKS AGO, IN SOUTH FLORIDA, AN 18 YEAR OLD TEEN HAVING A BREAST AUGMENTATION DIED ON THE OPERATING ROOM TABLE. ANESTHESIA COMPLICATION. HAPPENS ONE IN EVERY 10,000 CASES. RESPECTED PLASTIC SURGEON- DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG FROM EVERYTHING I CAN TELL, YET HERE THIS YOUNG GIRL DIED.
THIS IS MEDICINE. YOU, AS A PROSPECTIVE PATIENT, CAN ONLY DO YOUR HOMEWORK, AND FIND THE MOST RESPECTED, DILIGENT, HARD WORKING, HONEST, ARTISTIC, DEVOTED SURGEON - AND THEN AFTER THAT, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED INDIVIDUAL VARIATION. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL, UNFORTUNATELY, AS TO THE RATE AND SPEED OF GROWTH OF TRANSPLANTED HAIRS, PROVIDED THAT I PERFORM THESE PROCEDURES UP TO THE VERY HIGHEST STANDARDS. THAT IS WHY THERE CAN NEVER BE A "GUARANTEE" AS TO THE OUTCOME. I CAN TELL PROSPECTIVE PATIENTS THAT IN OVER 90% OF MY PATIENTS, THERE WILL BE SOME NICE EARLY GROWTH AT THE 3 TO 4 MONTH MARK, AND THAT AT 9 MONTHS THERE SHOULD BE 70 TO 80% OF THE FINAL RESULT- BUT THERE IS INDIVIDUAL VARIATION. I CAN ALSO TELL PATIENTS THAT I CAN ASSURE THEM THAT THEIR WORK WILL BE PERFORMED TO THE VERY HIGHEST STANDARDS, AND THAT THEIR RESULTS WILL BE NATURAL IN APPEARANCE.
LOOK AT WHAT I CAN CONTROL:
1. ARTISTRY OF THE HAIRLINE- I INVITE EVERY ONE OF YOU TO GO THROUGH MY WEBSITE PHOTOS AND SEE THE AESTHETICS OF MY HAIRLINES. THERE MUST BE AT LEAST 400 HAIRLINES THAT I SHOW CLOSE UP.
2. FINENESS OF THE DONOR SITE SCAR- ALTHOUGH THERE ARE PATIENT VARIABLES IN THIS AS WELL, BUT GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT THE 50 TO 70 OR SO DONOR SITE SCARS THAT I SHOW ON MY WEBSITE.
3. EDUCATING AND CHOOSING OF PATIENTS- JUST LAST WEEK, I CANCELLED A PROCEDURE ON AN IRAQI WAR VET, A 28 YEAR OLD, WHO HAD UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF THE SURGERY, AND WHOM I THOUGHT LOOKED QUITE GOOD WITH HIS HEAD SHAVED. HE HAD PAID 100% OF HIS SURGICAL FEE- WHICH I RETURNED, AND LEFT ME WITH A HALF DAY OF 15 PAID ASSISTANTS WITH NO WORK TO DO. NOT EVEN AN ISSUE AS TO WHAT WAS THE PROPER THING TO DO. I FELT HE WAS BEST OFF NOT HAVING A PROCEDURE, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, UNTIL HE FIGURES SOME THINGS OUT AND UNDERSTANDS THE LIMITATIONS OF THE PROCEDURE.
4. MY REPUTATION- I CAN ONLY LOOK EVERY PATIENT IN THE EYE AND TELL THEM THAT I STAND BY MY WORK, WILL ALWAYS DO THE VERY BEST I CAN, AND WILL NEVER RIP OFF A PATIENT.

I DO NOT HAVE INFORMERCIALS. I DO NOT HAVE A YELLOW PAGE AD. I DO NOT DO PRINT, RADIO, OR TV ADVERTISING. NOTHING OTHER THAN WORD OF MOUTH- BY OVER 5000 HAPPY AND HAIRIER PATIENTS, AND BY A NUMBER OF MY PHYSICIAN COLLEAGUES.

I HOPE THAT EVERY ONE OF YOU, BEFORE YOU BECOME JURY, JUDGE, AND EXECUTIONER TO MY REPUTATION ALL AT ONCE, CHOOSE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EDUCATE YOURSELVES, AND PROCEED INTELLIGENTLY AND APPROPRIATELY. THESE POSTINGS HAVE DONE LITTLE OTHER THAN TO UNDERMINE THE PHYSICAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP.
I AM ONE OF THE DOCTORS WHO HAS ALWAYS WANTED THIS SITE TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD. HAVE ARGUED AGAINST PAID CONSULTANTS POSTING COMMENTS ON THIS SITE OTHER THAN PROVIDING NON-BIASED EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION. HAVE PUBLICLY COME OUT IN THE JOURNALS AGAINST SURGEONS PAYING HAIRDRESSERS AND OTHER HAIR PROFESSIONALS FOR PATIENT REFERRALS BECAUSE THEY ARE UNETHICAL. GO AHEAD AND READ THE TENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS, OF POSTS ABOUT ME ON THIS SITE. GO AHEAD AND READ JUST A FEW OF THE HUNDREDS OF PATIENT LETTERS I POST ON MY WEBSITE. COME TO MY OFFICE AND ASK TO SEE THE 4 VOLUMES OF COLLECTED EMAILS AND LETTERS FROM HAPPY PATIENTS.
I WISH TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATING IN THIS SITE AS A POSTER AND EXPERT- BUT WILL NOT STAND BY WHILE MY REPUTATION GETS HACKED AWAY AT. I AM SORRY THAT THIS PATIENT HAS NOT HAD THE GROWTH I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED AT 9 MONTHS. HE IS NOT THE FIRST. HE AND PERHAPS 3 OR 4 OF THE 500 PATIENTS ON WHOM I PERFORMED A PROCEDURE ON IN 2007 I WILL NEED TO BRING BACK TO THE PROCEDURE ROOM AND PERFORM A TOUCH UP OR WHATEVER IS NEEDED, DUE TO A LOWER THAN EXPECTED RATE OF GROWTH. BUT AT 9 MONTHS, IT IS FAR TO EARLY TO DETERMINE THIS.

RESPECTFULLY,
JEFFREY EPSTEIN, MD, FACS
WWW.FOUNDHAIR.COM
MIAMI AND NYC

quote:

Originally posted by PLEASE GROW PLEASE:

quote:

Originally posted by nobuzz4me:
Well said NG,

I for one care more about a patients scalp than any doctor's reputation. This patient feels bad enough as it is with the poor HT result (so far), and should he now feel guilty for damaging a reputation? I cerainly hope not.

Thats EXACTLY how I feel. Im here to help my balding brothers and thats it. Top 2-3

quote:

Originally posted by notgoing2gobald:

quote:

I have also talked to Dr. Epstein in detail and confirmed with a few other leading physicians including Dr. Ray Konior and Dr. Sharon Keene of the Coalition about the possibility of a hair piece slowing down or even more rarely stunting hair growth.

Why didn't Epstein inform TTDS this at the time of his surgery then?

While the rest of it sounds calm, cool, and level headed....I dunno. Four or so patients who have significant concerns who are all at 6 months+ post op? They should be at 60% growth by now, let alone TTDS 9 month (?)...In addition, while post-op pics would be 'helpful' for TTDS, it really isn't that important, in that he was totally BALD prior to the procedure. We should be able to tell if 2,500 (or however many) grafts are growing out of his BALD head? What does it matter where they were placed? Unless Dr. E put them in his side burns or beard or something, it really doesn't matter----
he was *BALD*...

It was previously sited that 4-5 patients w/poor growth a year is a "meager" 5% of his annual clientel; and that the 'x' factor was attributed to be the culprit, in discussions w/other experts in the industry (i.e. Feller & Matt Shapiro's patient educator) they claim there is NO 'x' factor, w/the exception of grafts "thinning" on those patients who have 'quirky' genes. Even still, it is no where near 5% (?)...and the 'thinning' phenomena is SURELY not what is happening w/these patients. they simply are not GROWING the grafts that were placed...

Sure, it all sounds level-headed: we want to give him the benefit of the doubt, the patients aren't *fully* matured yet, etc. etc...
-BUT-
I dunno...four or five patients ALL w/the same problem, that is *no* growth, and one of them is already NINE months out? Most, if not all, of the grafts should already be visible on his scalp, they would merely not be matured yet...too many 'bad' coincedences as far as Im concerned...

quote:

Originally posted by notgoing2gobald:
stupid, but true thought:
I don't like the fact that the 'techs' were giggling trying to remember who danced w/who at the club the night before and how MANY *drinks* they had, perhaps they were still tipsy the next morning or had a horrific hang-over (?)...

I would be shi$$ing in my pants and all over the dreaded CHAIR if I heard such a discussion while they were handling my precious follicles...

I'd probably grab my grafts from them and run out the door w/my 5,000 bloody slits all over my head, run to AMPM buy some ice, and try and insert them myself...