Up Close & Personal:: Dr Fisher

Q: Why you chose hair transplatation?
A: I felt there was a void in the field, having seen results over the years that were less than optimal. It wasn't until a decade later that refinements in the technique restimulated my interest.

Q: Most rewarding part of your job:
A: Seeing my satisfied patients after their successful hair transplant, especially when a patient comments that their result is so natural and no one is aware that they have had the procedure done.

Q: Charities and/or causes you support and how you support them:
A: Adventure Science Museum and Vanderbilt Children's Hopital.

Q: Advice to new patients:
A: Have realistic expectations but with today's current techniques, have confidence in the quality of your result. The goal of a hair transplant is to be so natural that no one knows that the procedure has ever been performed.

Q: What the public should know about hair loss and hair transplantation:
A: In the majority of men, hair loss is inherited and one has only minimal control at reducing future hair loss. In women, hair loss can be due to multiple factors, such as thyroid disease, other metabolic disorders, as well as inherited hair loss. It is the inherited hair loss patient, who is an ideal candidate for a hair transplant.

Q: What are your hobbies and interests?
A: Travel, gardening and model railroading.

Q: Are you published? Have you made any public appearances (i.e., TV, radio, etc.)?
A: I have authored 5 book chapters in medical textbooks on hair transplants. I give teaching courses at least twice a year at National Meetings and have lectured Nationally and Internationally on hair transplantation.

Q: View of what lies ahead for hair transplantation:
A: Surgical technique has become so refined and currently gives optimal results, which are limited by the amount of available donor hair. In the future, if hair cloning becomes feasible, then the patient is no longer limited by the amount of available donor hair.

Q: What you wish you knew than that you know now:
A: The importance of irregularity in creating a natural hairline. In the beginning of my hair transplant practice, I believe I made some hairlines too straight.

Q: What qualities do you look for in a patient?
A: Realistic expectations, the ability to follow directions and enough donor hair to give satisfactory results.

Q: What sets you apart from other hair transplant specialists?
A: I am a board-certified plastic surgeon. I personally place every graft and I have a team of assistants who have been with me for years. I see the patient before, during and after the procedure.