I have not been compensated in anyway to write this. I am only sharing my experience to help others in similar situations. Prices as at the time of writing (July 2015).
I am a 29 year old male and I have a family history of balding. I have used minoxidil (5% Kirkland brand) religiously for over 2 years without significant result. Other treatments are not options for me as I am not comfortable with the side effects. So I decided to go under the knife to get a permanent solution – a hair transplant. These procedures are very expensive where I live (New Zealand), and I planned to get it done on a trip to India (Hyderabad), where my family lives.
I found Hair Sure on Google and I tried doing some research. This clinic seemed to be well reputed in Hyderabad, but the information available online was either unclear or seemed unreliable. So I went in for an initial visit. After consulting with Dr. Sasikanth, I felt comfortable enough to take the risk to go for it.
They first ordered a full set of reports (CPB, HIV, Gorup, ECG etc) to make sure there are no surprises. This costed me Rs. 1800 (30 USD) at Vijaya Diagnostics. The reports came in the following day and I was given the green signal for the surgery.
Dr. Sasikanth informed me that he would perform the procedure along with a team of 2 other doctors and 4 other technicians. The quote given was Rs. 50 (about 1 dollar) for each graft, and I needed 2000.
On the day, I arrived a bit early. They applied some numbing cream to my forehead to reduce the sting of the anesthesia injection. Shortly after, the team of doctors designed the hairline that required filling and after agreeing on the design with me, they took photos of my head from various angles once before trimming my hair and once after.
I was then sent to the operation room, where the procedure started with local anesthesia. This first few minutes was the most painful part of the procedure, but Dr. Sasikanth continuously reassured me through the pain. The staff gave me pressure balls to help with the discomfort. Soon they went to work, starting with preparing the recipient area in the front. Then after a quick break, I was made to lie on my stomach for graft extraction, and simultaneously, other doctors began separating and implanting the previously extracted grafts. They kept giving me bathroom and drink breaks every 2 hours or so. They continued extraction and implantation.
The whole thing took a bit more than 7 hours, during which I had many questions.
Dr. Sasikanth had the patience of a parent. Not only did he happily answer my questions, but always spoke calmly to reassure me. His staff was very friendly and did all that they could to make my stay comfortable.
After the procedure, they dressed up my head and offered instructions on how to dress and sleep. They even gave me the medication (saving me a trip to the pharmacy – which was much appreciated).
I was offered dinner of my choice, but I was too tired to eat. So, I just took the dinner home. Even the dinner was carried down to the car by their helper.
The total cost came to Rs. 1 lakh 10 thousand (about 2000 USD). I planned to pay with my credit card, but the payment failed to go through (probably some issue with my international credit card). Dr. Sasikanth was kind enough to grant me an extension on my payment (again, a gesture that I much appreciated as it assured me of their friendly service).
I had a follow-up appointment the next day. They trimmed my hair more evenly, washed and bandaged me again and sent me on my way. They also assured me that it would be ok to fly 2 days after the procedure and gave me a medical flying consent form.
Overall, they made a painful and risky procedure as smooth as they could. The facility is pretty immaculate. The staff was friendly and I was happy with the service.
As for the results, time will tell. I will come back in 3 months (which is when the newly implanted hair is expected to regrow) to re-post – may be this time with before/after pictures (which I am waiting to receive from the clinic). I hope the result will be good, and I feel positive based the service I received.