Senior Member Severn Posted October 10, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 10, 2009 Well I'm at the Country Inn suites in Minnesota now awaiting my procedure on Monday. I spent months trying to decide between Dr. Wong and Dr. Ron Shapiro. They are both at the top of their field and I couldn't decide. Ironically, they were the only two Coalition docs that recommended the same number of grafts for my crown repair work (2500-3000). Then I saw the post on here where Ron and Dr. Wong worked on each half of a patients frontal third demonstrating sagital vs. lateral slits. The end result looked like it had been done by the same doctor. Top notch results. So I have the two top docs in the world recommending the same number of grafts, and who's work appear the be of the same quality for about the same price. It was almost "flip a coin" type of a decision and I went with Ron here at SMG. I know Wong is the "king of crowns" and Ron" is the "king of hairlines", but the geometry of my scalp has been drastically changed from the scalp reductions. I just need enough coverage to cover up the scaring and odd triangular bald pattern. I honestly believe either could do an equally good job. Thanks to Bill and this communtity for all the fine input. Wish me luck! My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted October 11, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Hey Severn, glad to have you my man! I think your right in your assessment. I too (a long time ago) narrowed my choices to Dr. Ron and Dr. Wong. My final choice is obvious, but I think Dr. Wong does excellent work as well. I believe you would have been fine with either doctor. Anyway, we're glad you decided on SMG and I look forward to following your journey and seeing the results. BTW--Country Inn is the best place to stay in Minny...be sure to check out the free breakfast joint right off the foyer before you go in. Take Care, Jason Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member thanatopsis_awry Posted October 11, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Congrats in advance, Sev! I def expect you to end up supremely satisfied and can't wait to see your progress. Just curious -- what were some of the other graft targets/ranges that you got aside from 2500-3000? ----------- *A Follicles Dying Wish To Clinics* 1 top-down, 1 portrait, 1 side-shot, 1 hairline....4 photos. No flash. Follicles have asked for centuries, in ten languages, as many times so as to confuse a mathematician. Enough is enough! Give me documentation or give me death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Severn Posted October 11, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Originally posted by thanatopsis_awry:Congrats in advance, Sev! I def expect you to end up supremely satisfied and can't wait to see your progress. Just curious -- what were some of the other graft targets/ranges that you got aside from 2500-3000? The lowest from a coaltion doc was 1200. That would have given me a density of 20 FU/CM2. Not acceptable. The highest was 3500. He was one of the lesser known coaltion docs and I didn't not feel quite comfortable with him for reasons I won't go into. The 2800 that Ron gave me during my in person consult would give me 40FU/CM2. This might not sound like that much, but I am somewhat blessed by thick coarse hair. My frontal half is only 30 FU/Cm2 yet you can not see my scalp from the top view. I've let my hair grow long in preperation for the surgery and my frontal hair is over 3 1/2 inches long. But even at only 30 FU/CM2 and with long hair, I can still spike it straight up like a teenager using no gel!(I'm 49) A little goes a *long* way on me. My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aaron1234 Posted October 11, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Good call Severn. Best of luck on Monday. Dr. G: 1,000 grafts (FUT) 2008 Dr. Paul Shapiro: 2,348 grafts (FUT) 2009 ~ 1,999 grafts (FUT) 2011 ~ 300 grafts (Scar Reduction) 2013 Dr. Konior: 771 grafts (FUT) 2015 ~ 558 grafts (FUT) 2017 ~ 1,124 grafts (FUE) 2020 My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member thanatopsis_awry Posted October 11, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Cool. Sounds like you're going to be mint, for sure, and I'd have full faith in Dr. Shapiro's prognosis. Always a huge bonus where a little will go a long way. ----------- *A Follicles Dying Wish To Clinics* 1 top-down, 1 portrait, 1 side-shot, 1 hairline....4 photos. No flash. Follicles have asked for centuries, in ten languages, as many times so as to confuse a mathematician. Enough is enough! Give me documentation or give me death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member M&M Posted October 11, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Severn, Congratulations on doing such diligent research in advance and choosing a top doctor. I look forward to your updates as time progresses. Now, sit back, relax, get a good night's sleep, then get ready to meet a great team, including Dr. Ron and Janna. They will take care of you and then hopefully you have a lot of DVD's to help you pass the time the following days post surgery. How long are you staying in Minnesota? I know I really enjoyed sticking around for a few days so SMG could do the first few washes and check to make sure everything is perfect. All the best! M&M ___________________________ 1662 with Dr. Ron Shapiro - Spring 2006 1105 with Dr. Ron Shapiro - Fall 2009 M&M Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Severn Posted October 11, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Originally posted by M&M:Severn, How long are you staying in Minnesota? I know I really enjoyed sticking around for a few days so SMG could do the first few washes and check to make sure everything is perfect. M&M Ideally, I would have liked that. But Matt said it wasn't necessary. I did arrive a couple of days early though. I didn't want to get in a situation where exceptionally bad weather or flight complications kept me in the airport until Monday morning. I would end up losing my deposit, airline ticket, and have to wait another 3-6 months before trying again! My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raphael84 Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Good luck my man. Your in great hands. Exciting times! Patient Advisor for Dr. Bisanga - BHR Clinic ian@bhrclinic.com - BHR YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcH4PY1OxoYFwSDKzAkZRww I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member bullitnut Posted October 11, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 all the best pal youre in for a great experience look forward to following your progress 2 poor very poor UK ht's 2 world class repairs with Shapiro Medical Group original thread http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.co...d.php?t=134995 Dr Paul's procedure http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=1710 Dr Ron's procedure http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=1128 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Drew35 Posted October 11, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 11, 2009 Good luck Severn. I'm sure the results will be great. - 1st Transplant: 5,485 grafts with Dr Jerry Wong 2nd Transplant: 3,100 grafts with Dr Jerry Wong 3rd Transplant: 5,035 grafts with Dr Sanusi Umar My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Wong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Glenn Charles Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 You made a great choice. You can be assured that Dr. Shapiro will take great care of you. He has a world class staff and takes a lot of pride in his work. Please tell Dr. Ron, Dr. Paul, and the technicians that Dr. Charles says hello and that I miss everyone. It has been a couple of years since I performed surgeries there. Dr. Glenn Charles is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Severn, Tomorrow (technically today since it's 1:44am here) is the big day :-). You've made an excellent choice and I trust you'll be in the best of hands. I look forward to hearing all about how it went. Best wishes, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Severn Posted October 12, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 12, 2009 Thanks all! At least I can look forward now to no more scalp exercises. I've done them for an average of about 1-2 hours per day for the last 3 months! My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Severn Posted October 12, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 12, 2009 I'll make a special post when I get time, but this is worth mentioning. I just got back for an 11 hour procedure as SMG! They ended up with well over 3000 grafts and could have done more. The point of this is during my consultation in July, due to my scalp reductions, I was gauged as "tight". Matt speculated that I would not be able to get 2500 grafts. I might have to do 1200 then another 1200 on down the line to reach that target. Well, I started doing the scalp exercises religiously. But instead of the recommended 30 minutes, I was averaging 1-2 hours a day. I wanted to shoot for 3-4 but couldn't get the time. The end result when I went in this morning was I went from "tight" to "extremely loose" in 3 months! He went past my original 2500 target to over 3000 and didn't even take "that" long of a strip. I believe he mentioned that if he had gone the full distance on the strip length and width, he could have gotten 4000. His original estimation was 1.0-1.2 CM wide. He eventually did 1.42 and said he probably could have gotten 2.0! He ended up running out of places to put the grafts so he put all the "1" in the hairline to strengthen it up. The moral of the story, is if you do the scalp exercises religiously, and put in a bit more effort to double the recommended time, you can drastically change your elasticity!( A LOT!) (I'll try to do a complete writeup soon on the exact numbers and experience.) My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aaron1234 Posted October 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 Severn.. congrats man. 1-2 hours of scalp exercises a day?!?!? HOLY CRAP MAN! That's dedication. I was having a hard time with like 15 minutes a day. Glad it paid off for you and can't wait to see some pics! Dr. G: 1,000 grafts (FUT) 2008 Dr. Paul Shapiro: 2,348 grafts (FUT) 2009 ~ 1,999 grafts (FUT) 2011 ~ 300 grafts (Scar Reduction) 2013 Dr. Konior: 771 grafts (FUT) 2015 ~ 558 grafts (FUT) 2017 ~ 1,124 grafts (FUE) 2020 My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Severn, I think you might go through withdraw not having to do scalp exercises anymore since you devoted so much time to them . I'm glad your diligence in performing scalp exercises paid off and got you more grafts than anticipated Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Severn Posted October 13, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 Originally posted by Bill - Associate Publisher:Severn, I think you might go through withdraw not having to do scalp exercises anymore since you devoted so much time to them . Bill Tell me about it! I had to catch myself because this mornning because I was so used to doing 15-20 minutes in the morning followed by the 1+ hours later that night. The 1-2 hours isn't that bad at all if you do it right. The trick is to put on a movie, lay on the couch and just zone out doing the exercises in 5-10 minute intervals. You are distracted watching the boob tube so it goes by quickly. Rest after each 5 minutes so your arms don't get tired. Dr. Glenn: They all said hello back! My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member M1A1 Posted October 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 Severn, That's great out of the box thinking on your part about the scalp exercises... I only did them for about 30 minutes a day for a couple of months and went from a 14cm strip to a 30 sm strip. Keep us informed. Best, My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member rpachigo Posted October 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 Congrats and great job with the exercises! My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Arocha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Rachmunas4life Posted October 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 I first thought I would do strip (now doing fue) and did an hour of so of stretching exercises for 2 months. Now I have to live with a really loose scalp, haha! I'll probably have to do strip eventually (hopefully after 40). Anyways SMG is who I want for FUE so I'm happy everyone is always 100% satisfied going to SMG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Severn Posted October 13, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 I don't have the pictures yet but here is the breakdown: FU's 3008. Hairs = 6219 1's - 799 2's - 1354 3's - 708 4's - 147 Donor density = 88 FU/CM2 (dense) Donor laxity after exercises = Very loose Hair characteristics = black and very coarse. Pain during injections: NONE initially. M&M was right, the massager on the scalp seemed to take away any sensation of pain. I did feel a couple of pinches later when they had to re-deaden it. It was no worse than going to the dentist though. Probably less in fact. As I stated before, Ron ran out of room to put any more grafts in the crown area so he put 1's into my existing hairline to strengthen it up. Ironically, since each individual hair I have is so thick, my natural hairline actually looks almost like I have plugs! This should help a lot on the crown area worked on. At 42 FU/CM2 and with very thick hair, it *should* go beyond just an illusion of fullness. The bald area had 5 FU/CM2 so that will bring it up to 47 FU/CM2. Ron checked my frontal core and it was 35 FU/CM2. At 35fu/cm2, I can not see my scalp from a top or front view. And as I said, I can even spike it straight up without gel and it looks like a teen haircut lol. Rachmunas: Your scalp should tighten back up in time. EDIT: Also, what more can be said about Dr. Shapiro? The man's a genius. My compliments also go out to the hard working techs and Matt Zupan's informative consults. You will never see a "hard sell" tactic from this guy. My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Janna Posted October 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 Hi Severn, I will send pics to you as soon as they are downloaded from the camera. Thanks again for the treats this morning - much appreciated. Very sweet of you. Safe travels today and be sure to contact us with any questions or concerns. -janna & smg team Patient Care Services & UK Patient Advisor for Shapiro Medical Dr. Ron Shapiro, Dr. Paul Shapiro and Dr. David Josephitis are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. http://shapiromedical.com/info@shapiromedical.com http://shapiromedical.com/contact/request-a-consultation/janna@shapiromedical.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aaron1234 Posted October 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 Those are some great numbers Severn. I'm still so impressed with your 1-2 hours of scalp exercises per day. That's just incredible and will only help you in the long run. Can't wait to see your pics. But don't praise Dr. Shapiro too much, you just might get accused of cheerleading! Dr. G: 1,000 grafts (FUT) 2008 Dr. Paul Shapiro: 2,348 grafts (FUT) 2009 ~ 1,999 grafts (FUT) 2011 ~ 300 grafts (Scar Reduction) 2013 Dr. Konior: 771 grafts (FUT) 2015 ~ 558 grafts (FUT) 2017 ~ 1,124 grafts (FUE) 2020 My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Severn Posted October 13, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 13, 2009 Originally posted by aaron1234: But don't praise Dr. Shapiro too much, you just might get accused of cheerleading! Hey, I'm straight as an arrow and would never think of cross dressing. But if I get the results I think I'm going to get, I'll gladly grab some pom poms and put on a wig and skirt with an SMG logo on the front! And although I may be cheerleading a little bit, I have to give credit to H&W for their excellent scalp exercising video. Without it my scar would have been *much* longer and about 500 grafts lower. I'm sure Dr. Wong(among others) could have done a great job too. But eventually you have to get off your duff and choose a doctor. My Hair Loss Web Site - Dr. Ron Shapiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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