IT’S eASy To fAll for The fAncy WebSiTeS
All too aware of the risks involved when seeking cheap treatment abroad is M.E.
On September 2, the Egyptian expatriate underwent a one day hair transplantation procedure in Turkey. But he has now been left needing additional corrective surgery in the UAE.
After paying $1,100 direct to a facility based in Istanbul, M.E. said he was forced to fork out an additional Dh3,000 in other costs, including money for a doctor’s consultation in Turkey, because he was worried about his health following the initial transplant.
“I got a bad scalp infection and that spread over significant areas of my head. I received no diagnosis from the initial hospital nor did they refer me to a specialist doctor for diagnosis or medication. All they did was pump me with IV antibiotics twice a day without telling me what’s going on.”
Sharing pictures of his head in the days after the procedure, he said he received about 3,500 grafts, but claims many already started shedding just weeks after having the transplant.
“Now the infection has started to clear I can see the results of the transplant. They are very unsatisfactory. A large number of the planted grafts have shed, probably due to improper implanting techniques by the technicians, not doctor, who performed the procedure.”
And now, he has less hair than what he started with as “large areas were harvested for grafts that are now lost”.
Admitting that he did not do his homework when it came to research, M.E. booked his treatment on the recommendation of a friend.
“I did not do my due diligence when it came to research. I went on Google and it was one among the top results for hair transplants in the country. But a lot of people do what I do. It doesn’t mean we deserve to be butchered like this. It’s easy to fall for these fancy websites.”
Arriving at the clinic’s office, M.E. said it employed “20-30 Arabic speaking staff, mostly Syrian refugees working for minimum wage”.
“That’s common there. These are the staff who answer the WhatsApp inquiries and they have very high monthly targets, which explains their predatory approach even if someone is not a good transplant candidate.”
A doctor then took a cursory look at his head for about one minute, took some notes and sent him back to the sales team.
“The next morning, they took me to the clinic and straight into an operating room. Not much discussion or explanation was given as to what was going to happen and where the hair will be transplanted and they start operating right away.”
On reflection, he said he has been left with nothing but regret. And while some people may strike it lucky when seeking cheap medical procedures abroad, for him it’s been a pricey mistake.