Planning a trip to Thailand for hair transplant & Lasik eye surgery?

July 28, 2015 11:10 PM

I am a semi-professional goalie with average eye sight. Lots of professional (and amateur) goalies are getting lasik to improve their vision, and are reporting phenomenal results. (Having excellent vision is really helpful particularly for goalies). I also would like to get a hair transplant while I'm there. Help me decide.

I am 32 years old American guy, I have been to Thailand many times, my Thai is conversational, and I love going their on holiday. I have male pattern baldness, and I would like to get a hair graft from the back of my head (the "balding resistant" hairs) to the front of my head.

I also play soccer semi-pro as a goalie and have noticed my vision deteriorating and I would love to have at least (or better!)than 20/20 vision. I figure I can get both of these taken care of while in Thailand for Holiday, and enjoy the weather and some coconuts while I'm there also.

I have been to doctor's, and dentists in Thailand before and their medical tourism is generally top-notch western standards In my opinion. Clean, professional, sterile, friendly, and very affordable compared to American prices (average about 20 to 60% off according to my estimates).

Where I am getting stuck is choosing a clinic to go to. There are so many options and I don't know which are good, they all seem to have good reviews. And I was even considering going to Chiang Mai Thailand for a place with the best price I've found. Although this place in Colorado seems to offer the same price?!

I would enjoy spending the hair transplant money on a hair transplant much more than I would enjoy spending it on a vacation or nice clothes btw. And I already usually have a buzz cut of short hair and I'd rather have fuller hair.

Should I Get both of these surgeries done? (eye and hair)
If so, what are the most important considerations in choosing a clinic? I could go for a few weeks, and I would estimate I'd get about 2000 Follicles grafted.

Anyone done anything like this in Thailand? Anyone had the lasik for sports improvement? Thanks!

posted by crawltopslow to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Honestly, it sounds like your mind is already made up: I can tell that you really, really want to have both procedures done so I say go for it! The (elective) surgeries may not work and there's always the possibility of negative sides effects (including death) BUT it sounds like you're aware of risks and would be very, very happy with the results should they be positive.
posted by smorgasbord at 11:24 PM on July 28, 2015 [2 favorites]

remember that your eyes continue to degrade post-lasik so the velocity at which your vision degrades should tell you how long the procedure will last before you again need vision correction.
Furthermore: I'm told once you have lasik, your cornea is flattened such that contact lenses are no longer an option
posted by Fupped Duck at 11:27 PM on July 28, 2015 [3 favorites]

That said, I found your post incredibly Pollyanna-ish in tone. This is fine, of course; it's always good to be hopeful but something in it worries me a bit. Perhaps I sense you're seeing this as an amazing panacea and am worried you'll end up really disappointed if anything falls short? I'd definitely go with the place that has the best results/happiest clients and really consider the negative reviews as well.

I have two more points to consider:

- How would you feel if the surgeries do not yield the results you are hoping for? I personally think a confident guy who happens to be bald or balding is more attractive than a guy with a so-so hair transplant. However, if you think having a bit more hair will make you feel happier and more confident in general, then it sounds worth it. (It sounds like this is the case.) If you're doing it because you think it'll make you look better or seem more attractive to others, then I'd perhaps reconsider.

- Clearly, Thailand feels like a second-home to you and you love your time spent there. However, as you know, recovery after surgeries can be painful and limiting so your experience could be very different. Would you be OK with this?
posted by smorgasbord at 11:43 PM on July 28, 2015 [3 favorites]

I personally wouldn't (and didn't) get LASIK until my eyes went several years without changing (as measured by an optometrist). Because whatever change they're doing, they'll keep doing, so until they're stable you might as well try contacts.

And if you haven't already, it seems you oughta still try contacts anyway, to see what difference you can expect, to help decide if it's worth it. Though there are some corrections they can do in LASIK that contacts or glasses cannot do.

If you're decided for sure you want LASIK, then I'd recommend getting a consultation with a reputable clinic here, before you make an appointment anywhere for the surgery. If they say you're a bad candidate for LASIK, take their word for it, and get used to your eyes as they are.
posted by aubilenon at 12:15 AM on July 29, 2015 [3 favorites]

Mod note: Removed the links. crawltopslow, if you feel like the links are critical for someone to answer your question you can put them in your profile (just let us know if you have questions about this). Thanks.
posted by taz (staff) at 12:20 AM on July 29, 2015

WHAT!!!

Have you been to an optometrist?? Doesn't sound like it. LASIK is not for every vision issue, and kinda risky if you are not a good candidate based on YOUR vision needs.

See a good optometrist who can lend advice.

Hair replacement is less risky if it fails, so go crazy. But don't play games with your vision. Get lots of advice before choosing any procedure or clinic.

I just... You don't sound like you understand how it works! I have many close family and friends who are licensed airplane pilots and some opted for corrective procedures, some did not. Flying an airplane is a passion (if you know any pilots, you know this is true :)) PLUS it is very Life or Death. Nobody I know pilot-wise was cavalier about choosing corrective surgery because if it went wrong, their passion, or career path, or practical basic vision would be threatened. It was a careful decision, multiple doctor opinions were weighed, and then a procedure and clinic (some overseas) were chosen if proceeding was the right choice.

I don't want to negate what I just wrote by telling you my personal experience here. But... Is there a reason contacts won't work for you? Have you tried them?

As you get older, your vision acuity gets less. My direct understand is that depending on your condition, surgical intervention will not help that, or only be temporary - so not worth the risk sometimes. Depending on YOUR vision.

An optometrist can recommend a surgical procedure or contacts if necessary.

Again - no input here on hair. But for your vision? DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
posted by jbenben at 12:20 AM on July 29, 2015 [3 favorites]

I am a semi-professional goalie with average eye sight
and
I would love to have at least (or better!)than 20/20 vision.

Be aware that 20/20 vision is average visual acuity - it basically means that you can read at 20 feet what the average person can read at 20 feet. Young people with good vision often achieve an acuity of 20/10. Bear in mind also that this kind of foveal visual acuity is only one aspect of the visual capabilities that are going to be important to you as a goalie - peripheral vision and target tracking are also (presumably) very important. You need to understand how and LASIK surgery is likely to change all of these factors for you - and you need to get this diagnosis, I suggest, before going considering going abroad for surgery - not by somebody in Chiang Mai on the morning you turn up there.
posted by rongorongo at 1:44 AM on July 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Lasik can sometimes be a partial success, too. My husband had Lasik a decade ago, from one of the best opthamologists at the time - his vision improved immensely but he unfortunately still needs glasses to drive or use his laptop.

He's just now looked at orthokeratology, which is a system where you wear contact-like things at night. It actually stops the progression of your vision degeneration, no surgery necessary. Obviously, given that it's on going, that would need to be done closer to home. I'd be very careful with surgery in general, when any place far from home - especially, would you have a travel partner? Evacuation insurance that covers this? It was my understanding, when I entertained a similar idea long ago, that evacuation insurance is null and void for medical tourism.

If it's a similar price stateside, why do it there? Having gotten infections or just recovered roughly from small, elective surgeries myself, I would err on the side of being close to your bed.
posted by sweltering at 1:50 AM on July 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Have you checked any of the Thai expat forums? Someone there surely has had LASIK and can provide recommendations.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:38 AM on July 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Have you considered the downsides of LASIK? Like, if your vision is deteriorating, is there a reason you can't address that with contact lenses or prescription sport gear, without running the risk of night blindness? I assume night blindness would be more of an issue than wearing contacts would.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:08 AM on July 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Not everyone is suitable for LASIK because of the shape of their eyes (e.g., cornea thickness). Maybe you are a good LASIK candidate, but it sounds like you don't know that. So why not get a free consultation here in the States? You don't have to commit to surgery here. But they can tell you whether you're a candidate, and what to expect (both the likely improvement and side effects). Honestly, if your vision is deteriorating still, I expect you're not.

Also, although some people get 20/20 vision or even better, many get an improvement in vision that's less than that. But really, if this is just for soccer, why not get contact lenses?

BTW, I don't know about the hair surgery, but I know that flying to Thailand is expensive. Any cost difference between the LASIK home and abroad will be lost to the travel expenses, I suspect.
posted by J. Wilson at 6:13 AM on July 29, 2015

If you are physically active in a contact sport are you certain you want LASIK? Athletes (and police officers, firefighters, etc) usually get PRK surgery rather than LASIK, it is more invasive and slower to heal but unlike LASIK it heals completely.

I would talk to at least two eye care specialists in your area first.

If this were me I would never, in a million years, consider having my eyes operated on in another country far from home to save money where my first language is not theirs and I have no solid evidence as to the real state of surgical care there.

Dude, this is your vision we are talking about, as someone who has had multiple semi-experimental surgeries for a degenerative eye disease (with good if mixed results) ...

YOU REALLY NEED TO INVESTIGATE THIS MORE!!
posted by Cosine at 9:28 AM on July 29, 2015 [2 favorites]

When I got LASIK, they told me that most people's vision is corrected to the same degree as with glasses (some slightly better, some slightly worse). Because one of my eyes is only mildly nearsighted (0.5) and doesn't correct much with glasses, they recommended only doing LASIK on my bad eye - despite having lots of financial incentive to recommend doing both. My eyesight corrected to the same as glasses (20/20), though it's noticeably worse than that in low light (eg presentations in dark rooms).

LASIK can have rare severe vision and pain problems, and also has very common mild side effects (like my increased sensitivity to bright light, halos at night, dry eye, and poor night vision). It also has a permanent risk of the flap being damaged during contact sports.

I'm very happy with my LASIK because I loathed glasses. I think it's insane to consider LASIK if you don't wear glasses/contacts now - if they do improve your vision, why don't you wear them now? If they don't, you are very unlikely to see any benefit from LASIK.... but just as likely to see the side effects, some of which are very common and although minor, can be very annoying, especially when they last the rest of your life. Especially when you paid thousands for the privilege.

I really think you need to do more research before committing, because you seem to be greatly overestimating the benefits while ignoring the (often permanent) risks of this surgery.
posted by randomnity at 10:59 AM on July 29, 2015 [2 favorites]

I've considered the same thing, and even though I agree with this statement, " medical tourism is generally top-notch western standards In my opinion. Clean, professional, sterile, friendly, and very affordable compared to American prices (average about 20 to 60% off according to my estimates).", one thing one should consider is not only the probability of things going wrong, but recourse available IF things go wrong. You know enough about Thailand to know about the courts. Compare that to the medical malpractice sub-industry of settlement hungry lawyers here. If things go wrong you are at the mercy of Thai courts.

"Although this place in Colorado seems to offer the same price?!" --that alone makes me think this might be an option. Please let us know what you do. I also want eye surgery, but it is such a weighty decision I have stalled.

BTW I had one of my foot/ankle surgeries at Bumrungrad.
posted by chinabound at 8:45 AM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]