In the past couple of years, the number of "correction" hair transplant surgery that I have done has been on a rise. Patients have come to me for correction because they were unhappy with their hair transplant results either due to decreased density of hair or because of an unnatural looking hairline. After discussing in detail with these distraught patients I tried to analyse and understand the cause of these dissatisfied patients. The exigency for writing this blog is to prevent patients from making mistakes and guiding them to make the right choice. There is an urgent need to increase awareness because every patient's donor area is limited and once the donor area is used to perform surgery (and if it is done incorrectly), the hair follicle grafts which are extracted are gone forever. 

I have tried to list out a few points which should make it easier for the patients to rightly choose the place for performing their hair transplant surgery. 

Qualifications & Experience Of Your Operating Surgeon - 

As per the Medical Council of India (MCI) guidelines, dermatologists and plastic surgeons are the only two qualified specialists who are certified and undergo requisite training to perform hair transplant surgery. Dermatologists are also the true Trichologists who have proper experience and training for the medical management of hair loss apart from the surgical management with hair transplantation. Hair transplant being a surgical procedure it is very important that the patient gets it done from the duly qualified specialist. There are many commercial chains in operation where just MBBS doctors(without certified specialist training) and even dentists (I wonder how they ever deal with hair during their training in the oral cavity) perform transplantation. As a patient you have the right to know the credentials of your operating surgeon. When ever you visit the clinic you can usually see the doctors qualifications and degrees on display in the clinic which will convey the doctors qualification. If they're not displayed you have the right to ask for it so that you are not at risk of being operated by some unqualified hack. 

Who Is Your Consulting Doctor During Your Initial Visit-

When you go for a consultation regarding your hair loss or hair transplantation make sure your consultation is taken by the same doctor who will be your hair transplant surgeon so that you can discuss in detail regarding your expectations, the plan for procedure, the approach and the course that would follow for the procedure. At many chains across the country the person who takes the consultation is quite often a marketing person(who has never attended a medical school) or somebody else who is more qualified to convince the patient for Hair Transplantation so that the outlet or the clinic can make money out of it. One has to be careful not to fall prey to such tricks and meet only the operating surgeon for consultation. Patients often complain to me that at such commercial chains, few months after the procedure when they wanted to discuss about the results, they could not meet the surgeon who had operated on them because very often the doctors keep changing at such centres.  This is very disappointing & frustrating for the patient as the patient was often promised more and the patient is unhappy with what the final result is. 

Viewing Pre Post Photos Of Previously Operated Cases - 

Any surgeon with considerable experience will have a good collection of pre-and post photos documenting their previously operated cases. By looking at a variety of results you can get a good  idea on how they operate and how reliable the surgeon's skills are to perform the procedure effectively. You could also ask your surgeon to show you the pre-and post hair transplant photos of a patient with balding pattern similar to yours so that you get a fair idea on the result that would be expected after the procedure. 

Previously Operated Patients' Reviews -

Getting information on the experiences of previously operated patient can also be a good indicator to know about the surgeon,  the centre and the procedure. With the consent of the previously operated patient the surgeon can get you in touch with one of the patients so that you can speak to them directly and clarify any doubts on your mind. This will further solidify your faith in the surgeon and also make you comfortable to get the procedure done. 

- Dr Sujit Shanshanwal, MBBS, MD, ECFMG(USA), FDS  

shanshanwal.sujit@gmail.com  Ph No- +91-7021422838