Is My Fear of Shock Loss Rational?

I am a 37 year old white male who underwent 3 transplant procedures in Birmingham, AL in 1996, 1997, and 1998. I was pleased and continue to be pleased with the results. I began taking Propecia right before the 3rd procedure and have continued daily since and it has worked well by eliminating the loss (if only propecia had been around in 1988 when I first began to notice my hair loss).

The physician in Birmingham did a great job framing my face. He did not create a very low hairline. It was just right. The front and middle of my head is all grafts and I comb them to the side and get good scalp coverage. As a physician, I get asked “Are you still a resident, are you old enough to be a doctor?” and I never got these questions before the transplants WHILE I was a resident.

Now, I am contemplating doing another procedure. Why? Well, one, I easily have the financing. Also, two I always wanted to thicken it up in the future. And three, I now have a schedule that is very flexible.

However, I am scared. I spent the last 2 days reading about shock hair loss. I had never heard of this before. It did not happen during my 3 previous operations. But, it frightens me to think of knocking out my existing grafts even for a short time period. [I am certainly glad the internet was not as prominent a fixture in my life in the mid 90s). Further, as a hospitalist, when I work I spend my time dealing with the worst of the sick and many involved complications from surgery. This does not help the psyche.}

I don’t plan some huge megasession. It is to be a session of about 300 grafts taken from the back and leaving a linear scar (not FUE). The session’s purpose is to add density to areas chosen by me and the surgeon. This is the same surgeon that did the 3 prior operations.

Questions:

1. Am I being rational with this fear?
2. Can you estimate a probability of shock loss to the existing grafts occurring given my clinical circumstances? [Note I have compared pictures over the last 9 years, and the graft growth appears unchanged. Further the strands appear as strong as they did say 5 years ago.]
3. Am I selling short by not seeking out FUE somewhere? The doctor in Birmingham is the premiere guy in the state but does not do FUE.
4. Overall, would you say go for it or not?

Shock loss in a person who had three hair transplant procedures in the past with no loss would be unusual. I can not tell you about the techniques offered to you by your surgeon, but if you trust your surgeon and you understand what he/she is going to do, go for it. Be sure to ask these questions to your doctor. You and I don’t have a relationship, but you and your doctor do.