I had hair transplant done by Dr. Quatela of Rochester, NY and he was very disappointing. How can I find a better surgeon?

Question

I met with Dr. Quetela and had a hair transplant procedure done by him. Is it common for the doctor not to be in the room? He had his nurses/PA? do the procedure and I am terribly disappointed with my $9,000 investment. First off, avoid him at all costs. Secondly, is there a recommendation on who I can see to have the procedure done again? I want the FUE procedure, to avoid the scar in the back. Please provide promising referrals. I am tired of nonsense that comes with a sale.

Ken Anderson, MD, FISHRS · Answer

Dear patient,Thank you for writing in with your question.  There are several ways to choose a hair restoration surgeon, all of which are complementary to each other.  Unfortunately, a physician offering hair restoration services in the USA requires literally zero hours of surgery training.  No kidding.  As such, the results are all over the map.  Some are very good, and some are not so much.  There are gynecologists who are closing up shop, purchasing an FUE device, and calling themselves hair restoration “experts” in this country.  Makes about as much sense as a facial plastic surgeon closing up shop, getting a gynecology table, and calling himself a gynecology expert.  Doesn’t work that way in real-life, but with hair restoration, that’s the reality if the situation. The NeoGraft device was introduced about 5 years ago, and is simply a machine that a physician (or, more likely, a technician) uses to perform the follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure.  It is more or less a motorized, hand-held circular punch, attached to suction.  NeoGraft has done a tremendous amount of marketing, and I see physicians who have never done a hair transplant around the country acquire this machine, piggyback on the marketing done by NeoGraft, and start to offer this complicated, and permanent procedure to the public.  In much of the country, the doctor will simply hire a technician (the going rate for a NeoGraft tech in Atlanta is $70/hour) to perform the procedure.  It should be noted at this point that hair restoration technicians have the same exact medical training requirements as grass cutters: absolutely none.  The physician only need sign the papers and be on the premises.  No joke.  So, whether using the NeoGraft, or the much more advanced ARTAS robotic hair restoration system, or any other device, including a 50 cent 1mm biopsy punch, it is the experience and dedication of the surgeon and his team that will determine the outcome.  Hair Restoration is it's own specialty now.  There's a global society (the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) and a Board.  Choosing a surgeon 100% dedicated to hair restoration is paramount.  If "NeoGraft" suddenly appears on a long list of other procedures a physician offers, I would be wary, as it is unlikely that the physician has a full-time, highly-trained team of hair restoration technicians, and is just hiring one of many "hired gun" technicians that will arrive at the office, and do the procedure for $70 an hour.  There are hundreds of subtleties and nuances in hair restoration, and assuming that because a physician now offers NeoGraft, in addition to all the other procedures offered, will be competent and excel at hair restoration surgery is simply foolish.  Look at the experience and dedication of the surgeon who will be performing the surgery, and make sure technicians are not actually the ones who will be performing the surgery.  Also make sure the physician you choose is actually a trained surgeon.  The majority of hair restoration "surgeons" are, in fact, not trained in surgery at all, and hold no board certificates in any surgical specialty whatsoever, so examine your physician's credentials carefully.  You should feel perfectly comfortable asking for a copy of the surgeon's resume to review.  Look for many years of dedication exclusively to hair restoration, not just cosmetic surgery in general.I hope this information is helpful to you.

Ozge Ergun, MD · Answer

The price of Hair Transplant operation depends on several factors such as the difficulty of your case and your request for your operation area.
In my practice, prices for Hair Transplant operation reaches from 2500 Euro up to 4500 Euro range, and it also includes the travel package such as accommodation, local transfers, and language assistance. If you want to learn more you can click the link below.

Vito C. Quatela, MD · Answer

We are very sorry to hear about your disappointment. Patient
satisfaction is our number one priority, and we will do whatever it takes to
make this right.  Please contact our office directly to
speak to Brooke, Dr. Quatela’s Patient Consultant.  We look forward to
hearing from you so that we can remedy this situation. Thank you.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

If your doctor was "disappointing" do your research and interview several doctor and ask to speak to their former patients.

Amir Yazdan, MD · Answer

In my practice for an FUE procedure I perform about 90% of it.  I do not have nurses or PA's making incisions, etc on patients.  My cases take 8-12 hours on average and I am present in the room almost the entire time.  To find a good recommendation, please visit the ISHRS website and look there for a qualified surgeon that has been an ACTIVE member of the ISHRS for some time and only specializes in hair restoration surgery.

I had hair transplant done by Dr. Quatela of Rochester, NY and he was very disappointing. How can I find a better surgeon?

Answers (8)

Answer: If your doctor was "disappointing" do your research and interview several doctor and ask to speak to their former patients.

Answer: If your doctor was "disappointing" do your research and interview several doctor and ask to speak to their former patients.

Answer: Finding the right doctor

Answer: Finding the right doctor

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about FUE Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

I had hair transplant done by Dr. Quatela of Rochester, NY and he was very disappointing. How can I find a better surgeon?

Answers (8)

Answer: If your doctor was "disappointing" do your research and interview several doctor and ask to speak to their former patients.

Answer: If your doctor was "disappointing" do your research and interview several doctor and ask to speak to their former patients.

Answer: Finding the right doctor

Answer: Finding the right doctor

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about FUE Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.