The day was finally here! I got to the clinic and right off I knew I had made the right decision. I met with Jeff, the patient co-ordinator, and reviewed the pre-op paper work in detail. He was friendly and knowledgeable. I then met with Dr. Baubac. My impression of Dr. Baubac in person was just as great as the one I got over the phone. We further discussed all my questions. He was really personable and professional. One of my concerns was a scar on the back of my head that I’ve had since birth. Dr. Baubac advised me that he could take care of it by transplanting hair and recreating, as close as possible, the natural crown look. Dr. Baubac was going to take care of this at no cost! I didn’t even know that they could help me with my scar, none of the other clinics ever mentioned it. What clinic, let alone an award winning clinic, would provide any additional work at no cost? This and the whole experience on the first day made me feel very comfortable and confident about my upcoming procedure.
I arrived at the clinic at 7:30am on the day of the procedure. I thought that come the time I would be nervous and anxious but I was ready and at ease, I knew I was in great hands. Jeff took the pre-op pictures and I got to pick out my lunch choices prior to heading in. I changed into a gown and then went into a room where they started the IV. The donor area (back of my head) was shaved and I was then taken to Dr. Baubac where he froze the area and he and his staff removed the follicles that would later be transplanted. Once the grafts were removed, 3500 of them, Dr. Baubac and I discuss my hairline design. I let Dr. Baubac know what I wanted a natural look and with his knowledge, he created an amazing looking and natural hairline using a marker. The rest of the hair was shaved off and then it was off to lunch before the long haul.
After lunch, Dr. Baubac froze zones 1 and 2 to make the 3500 incisions where the follicles would be inserted. During this part of the process I was able to watch television since I was sitting in an upright position. Once all 3500 incisions were made, it was time to re-insert the follicles. Dr. Baubac and 3 very well trained staff members all worked together for about 7 hours on this part of the procedure. Once the procedure was done, my hair was washed and they applied cream to the donor area. I then meet with one of the Junior Surgeons, who provided me with all the post care information, medications and products I would need. The package also included a detailed schedule for the first 30+ days after, which is very detailed and easy to follow. He also showed me how to correctly put on and remove my surgical cap. Jeff then took the post-op pictures and made a follow up appointment for the next day so I could be taught how to properly care for my hair, which is just as important as the procedure.
The following day, I went back in to the clinic where I was taught how to properly wash my hair and apply the cream. Dr. Baubac then examined the progress of the transplant and answered any final questions I had. He provided me with his personal contact information in case I should have any questions when I got home. Jeff then provided me with a letter to show security at the airport with information on the medications and products that they gave me for the post-op care and also gave me advice on what to do and say to them at the airport.
During the entire procedure, the staff brought me drinks and healthy snacks. I was impressed by how friendly and courteous everyone at Alvri Armani was during every step of the process. I also had an additional 500 grafts at no cost, 3500 total. I was amazed with the post op care while at home. I ran out of the cream that is applied to the donor area and the clinic didn’t hesitate to ship me out another tube at no cost. They also followed up via email and phone to make sure everything was okay. I couldn’t have picked a better doctor and clinic for my procedure. I can’t say enough great this about Dr. Baubac. He’s truly a fantastic person and an extremely professional doctor. I would highly recommend that if you’re looking for a place to have a hair transplant, this is the place to go. Even if that means travelling to a different country as I did.
