Specializing in Botox & Juvederm in Modesto, CA
Injection Artistry
at Surgical Artistry by Calvin Lee, MD

Acupuncturist, Surgeon, Physician Speaker in California
for Allergan (makers of Latisse, Botox, and Juvederm)

2336 Sylvan Ave. Suite C, Modesto, CA 95355
Located next to the post office near the intersection of Oakdale Rd. and Sylvan Ave.
Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm (some special hours available upon request)

(209) 551-1888

Dr. Tammy Wu and I operating in Modesto, CA. 
We're a wife and husband surgery team providing world class care.
Dr. Tammy Wu is a board certified Plastic Surgeon.  I am a board certified General Surgeon

Welcome to my home-made website, written in a casual style by me (Calvin Lee).

Surgical Artistry's Page on Facebook  (over 1400 fans)
Surgical Artistry is a member of Brilliant Distinctions for Botox, Juvederm, and Latisse
Sign up/Log in to get discounts directly from Allergan, the makers of Botox, Juvederm, and Latisse

More information regarding Brilliant Distinctions = Botox Discounts with frequent visits

Empty vials of Botox injected by Dr. Calvin Lee
This container wasn't big enough for all the Botox vials.

Frequent Questions for Dr. Calvin Lee

What procedures do you do with Botox and Juvederm:

Dr. Calvin Lee's procedures with Botox and Juvederm:

Botox for: facial wrinkles "11's", crows feet, forhead, jowels, chin dimpling, excess gum show (teeth), nasal flare, migraines, headaches, muscle pain, trigger points, TMJ, neck bands, lines around the mouth, eye twitching, blepharospasm, hyperhidrosis (arm sweating), palm sweating, feet sweating

Juvederm injections for: folds on the face, hand rejuvenation - including plumping, and vein removal, indented scar filling, nose reshaping, lip augmentation, under the eyes (ie. tear trough), chin/cheek reshaping, lines around the mouth.

Some of the procedures listed above are considered to be "off-label" by the FDA. We feel that Botox and Juvederm are appropriate for these indications. Click this link to read more about off-label Botox and Juvederm usages.
 

What is your practice style?

Actually the question (or statement) goes something like:  You seem too laid back and "friendly" to be a doctor.  I guess this is a question because there's some disbelief behind it.  I guess this is a compliment??  Not sure though.  My style is laid back and friendly.  Why not be laid back and friendly to keep our patients smiling.  I think people should enjoy their visit and gain knowledge.  I see that as my main purpose in our practice.  I want our patients to look forward to visiting me (yes, and look forward to getting stuck with needles).  I think if I have the potential of "hurting" a patient with a needle, I need to at least somehow make it enjoyable (maybe even with some humor, but definitely by being friendly).  I enjoy a good laugh with our patients, and I love it when patients smile.  I don't think I'm naturally an intense scary person - perhaps thats what people think of when then think of "doctor" or "surgeon". 

The primary reason patients see me is to learn about what aesthetic medicine can do for them.  Or more specifically, what I know about aesthetic medicine.  I have my limits of knowledge too.  I strive to learn more every day and I actually learn quite a bit from my patients - from what they know and what they like about the results after trying a procedure.  My main job is to impart information - about risks, benefits, and what to realistically expect.  I find many patients pushing me to do more, perhaps I'm on the conservative side.  But each patient is different. 

My next most important job is to try to see the results and expectations from the patients viewpoint.  I call it "trying to get inside your head" - basically like "wearing your shoes" - but if we're working on fillers and botox, I'm not usually injecting it into the shoes or feet (although that could be done for excessive sweating).  My third most important job then is to perform a great procedure (ie. Acupuncture/Botox is a Jab well done..... um... nevermind).  There you have my top three priorities with info sharing being the very top priority.  The "laid back" part is more about not rushing and not trying to act as "the boss."  Rushing isn't good for communication, and really, acting like I always know what's best isn't for real.  But I am very intense and uptight about maintaining safety and best results.

Why Modesto?  Why not some big famous city to live in?

The short version of the answer would be:  I came to Modesto, CA to be a broad based trauma general surgeon, and at the time, the large Kaiser hospital wasn't here either and the amount of work to be done here as a trauma and general surgeon was huge!  Based on data, I was in the upper 90th percentile for the volume of work that I did in Modesto as compared to other surgeons in the USA.  This was exactly what I had wanted at that time!  My wife, Dr. Tammy Wu, Plastic Surgeon, followed me here, originally she was going to do a fellowship in microsurgery, but then plans got changed, so she came to Modesto with me and found that she liked Modesto and her practice flourished here.  Thus we decided that Modesto was a great place to practice medicine!  In 2006, I stopped seeing trauma patients.

I really enjoy living and working in Modesto and having patients from Modesto and surrounding areas (ie. Turlock, Riverbank, Oakdale, Ripon, Del Rio, Escalon, Salida, Ceres, Stockton).  I look forward to making Modesto great!  My wife (Dr. Tammy Wu) and I (as Surgical Artistry) have been founding sponsors/supporters of the Gallo Center for the Arts, Modesto Symphony Pops Series, and the Surgical Artistry Modesto Marathon.

I get this question a lot (from my friends, from my patients, and sometimes from my family). I think it's a compliment meaning something like "you're too big for this smaller town, you should be somewhere bigger."   Initially, I had dreams of going to a small town in Kansas and being a super doc in a very small town.  I wanted to go to a place where there weren't many doctors - thus I could be very broad based (have many expertise and be useful).  But I had to compromise because my wife has family in Los Angeles, California, and her family wanted her to be closer than Kansas.  I settled for finding a "small" town in California.  I initially thought I would try Reedley, CA and Selma, CA (near Fresno).  But during my interview with the hospital there, I set a building on fire (if you want to know more about this - ask me!). I saw this as a bad omen, so I searched further away from Los Angeles and found Modesto! 

I started work with the McHenry Medical Group as a trauma general surgeon.  My wife (Dr. Tammy Wu - Plastic Surgeon) found a great job working at Sutter Gould.  In 2006 we decided to join forces and create Surgical Artistry.  At that time, I decided to focus my practice on needle related healing arts:  Acupuncture, Vein Sclerotherapy, Botox and Fillers.  I see injections as an extension of my surgical skills and duties.

And one more reason for "why Modesto, CA."  I love a challenge to prove myself - such as when I didn't go to Harvard.  I wouldn't be able to say "better than Harvard," if I had gone to Harvard (I don't know if I ever lived up to this challenge).   Harvard, of course, is a great school, and perhaps one day I'll find a reason to go, but it hasn't been my style to go with what is considered the "top".  I enjoy the climb to the top, and can't do the climb if you already start there.  The challenge here in Modesto is to say we are better than Bay Area or better than Beverly Hills.  I only get that chance if I go to a different town - such as Modesto (or somewhere in Kansas).  Perhaps we will one day be known as  better than Beverly Hills or Bay Area.  It's a challenge I hope to continue to achieve every day.  I do have many friends who are plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills and other big cities (ie. San Francisco) - please visit them if you do live in those areas (I went to school and trained with them while at Brown University and other wonderful medical training institutions).  In the end, it is very difficult to compare practices, but we can always try to achieve improvement.

Do you still do surgeries?

Yes, I do some.  I still do a few hernias, breast cancer, and gallbladder operations.  However, I take very few insurances; thus making it somewhat difficult to coordinate these operations with the hospital.  Some of the hernia operations that I do are in conjunction with my wife's cases (such as tummy tuck with umbilical hernia repair).  I assist often in plastic surgeries, with my wife (Dr. Tammy Wu) as the lead surgeon.  And I also assist regularly with a surgical pain specialist doctor who has a relatively large case-load with CNS pain pumps and nerve stimulators.  The surgical assisting keeps me in the operating room.  I do enjoy surgeries.  However, to be good at acupuncture, botox, fillers, and veins, I basically had to give up 99% of my previous operating life.  This switchover was a conscious decision in 2006.  I used to log over 800-1000 surgical cases per year in general surgery which included some trauma and vascular surgeries.  I believe that the average number of surgeries per year per surgeon across the US is a much lower number.  I still maintain my board certification in general surgery.  I am glad I have these skills and can bring them to my present practice with acupuncture, botox, fillers, and veins.

How do you fit in violin with your aesthetic medicine life?

I also have a hobby of playing piano in addition to violin.  I am much better on the violin, but I enjoy both.  I believe that aesthetic medicine is the application of science to create art.  My belief in this is strong enough that we've named our practice Surgical Artistry.  I think creating music allows me to be in touch with my creative and artistic side, which then translates from musical beauty to aesthetic beauty.  And from a technical standpoint, I believe that playing musical instruments is a help to my dexterity in my surgeries, acupuncture, and Botox injections.  In general, I don't have that much time to play music.  I think I spend maximally 2-3 hours per week on it - but in the past I've done so much more with music.  I think some of my past musical accomplishments have lingered to the present.  I maintain a separate music website (search "Calvin Lee Violin" on Google)

What are some other websites that you have made?

Actually there are really too many to list.  I have made over 1000 web pages.  I don't play golf like the other doctors - I just make web pages.  If you don't show up for your appointment, I'll be sitting in my office waiting, and sometimes, this gives me the inspiration to make yet another web page.  I have made the webpage for the first Breast Cancer Support group on the internet.  My web pages have been mentioned in national magazines such as US News and World reports, and I believe I have made one of the first plastic surgery web pages ever in the US back in 1995-96. 

• Please search Google or Yahoo for Modesto Plastic Surgery, Modesto Tummy Tuck, Modesto Acupuncture. Modesto Vein procedures and you may find some of my other websites.

Dr. Wu and Dr. Lee can be contacted via their office:  Surgical Artistry.

Surgical Artistry.  Tel: 209-551-1888

2336 Sylvan Ave. Suite C
Modesto, CA 95355

Located next to the post office on Sylvan Ave. in Modesto, CA.

Brand new Botox/Juvederm page on Facebook
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(This page is separate from the Surgical Artistry page on Facebook - which has over 1200 fans)

Disclaimer:  Do NOT iron your face.  It will cause damages.  The picture above was done with the iron in the OFF position and was NOT plugged in. 
You don't know how much trouble I got into with Dr. Wu (the wife) for getting "oils from my face on that iron."  Therefore, don't get in trouble at home either.