Did My Hair Transplant Surgeon Give Me All the Grafts I Paid For?

This question, from a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by recommended hair restoration surgeon Dr. Mike Vories:

Taking away the ‘quality’ aspect of hair transplantation, the entire procedure, cost and result is based on the number of grafts implanted. As such, is there a way for a patient to independently verify the precise number of grafts implanted without relying on the clinics information?

For the most part we can ‘assume’ that all clinics and doctors will quote their patients the accurate number of grafts to provide a positive outcome. This in turn enhances the clinic’s reputation and ensures continued business from hair loss sufferers. Also thanks in large part to the internet, clinics from around the world are now more accessible than ever before so there is more awareness of which clinics are consistently producing positive results.

Now I know some people will say there is a need for ‘trust’ between the patient and hair restoration physician, and I agree with this. But the number of grafts implanted into your head is not a matter of trust, it’s a matter of fact. If you’ve had 1500 grafts implanted, but were quoted and paid for 2000 grafts, it is a fact that you had 500 grafts less. It has nothing to do with trust, regardless of how reputable, trustworthy, the awards and memberships the doctor/clinic has collected.

Now this doesn’t have to be on a ridiculous scale. If a doctor is undercutting on average 100 grafts on each patient, and let’s say they see one patient a day, and charge $5 per graft, in a year they will have made $182,500 from not doing anything! ($5 x 100 grafts x 365 days). And when majority of hair transplants you see now are between 1500-3000 grafts range, how easy could the clinic get away with giving you 100 grafts less at 2400 grafts instead of the 2500 you paid for?

So is there a way for a patient to independently confirm the number of grafts they have achieved, or is this crucial information in the ‘trust’ of the doctor/clinic? You can go to the best of the best in the world, but out of sheer pessimism if you want to know exactly the number of grafts for your own peace of mind, I wonder if this is possible.

In our clinic, we have begun taking a high resolution photos of the dishes the follicular unit grafts are in, separated by groups of 100.

We provide this photo to the patient so if they desire, they can count the grafts anytime after the procedure to make sure the count is accurate.

Just a thought.

Dr. Mike Vories
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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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