How long have you been injecting Botox in Modesto?

I got this question today via social media.

The quick answer as of today (11/5/18) is about 12 years.

I guess it’s a question regarding my experience.  I now see about 200+ patients per month for Botox injections in my Modesto office: Surgical Artistry.

Here’s sort of a timeline for my life in Modesto.

2001:  Interviewed in Modesto and accepted job with the McHenry Medical Group as trauma and general surgeon

2003:  Started my surgery career in Modesto.  I actually had my first job Modesto as a surgeon was with the Sutter-Gould Medical Group affiliated with Memorial Hospital.  I worked there for a few weeks to help fill in for a surgeon who had to leave suddenly for his military duties.

2003:  Started with the McHenry Medical Group as trauma and general surgeon

2006:  Started Surgical Artistry with Dr. Tammy Wu, Plastic Surgeon.  Went to obtain more education in AcupuncturePlastic Surgery was our big focus for Surgical Artistry.

2006:  Started practicing acupuncture and started doing Botox.  I had a slow start.  It seemed to be about 1-3 patients per week even for Botox and acupuncture.  I continued doing General Surgery till about the year 2010.  But starting in 2006, I started assisting in the world of pain pumps and stimulator spine implants which I still do today.

2013:  Reached platinum level for Botox injections and Filler injections with the Allergan company.  This is based on amount of Botox purchased from Allergan.

2014:  Reached platinum plus level for Botox and Filler injections.

2015:  Selected as one of the first surgeon injectors of Kybella – a injectable product to help dissolve the double chin.

2016:  Reached Diamond level for Botox and Filler injections.  At the time, this seemed to be the highest level there was for Botox purchased from Allergan in the USA.

2017:  I was honored by being awarded the Top 25 most loved injectors in the USA by RealSelf.com.  I got a featured advertisement in Glamour magazine.

2017:  Reached the Top 500 level for Botox injections / Filler implantations.  This was a level that I didn’t know existed till I got the award.  It comes with certain benefits like a priority customer service telephone number.

2018:  Started doing thread-lifting which I also call Suture-Lifting.

2018:  Maintained Top 500 level for Botox injections (and other Allergan products).  At this point, I realize that I started by seeing about 4 Botox patients per month in 2006 and now I have the privilege of seeing over 200 Botox patients per month.

I still have much more to improve regarding my skills, communication, and results.  Thank you everyone for trusting me with your injections.

 

Calvin Lee,  MD

I love going to Botox and filler training sessions

As a board certified surgeon, I know that there are many ways to get surgeries done and every surgeon has their own developed tips and tricks over years of experience.  It’s always good to learn from others – especially in other parts of the world.

In the past few weeks, I’ve participated in two national-type training programs for Botox and Juvederm fillers.  I especially enjoyed watching other great injectors approach lip augmentation challenges.

Later today I am going to San Francisco to attend an international training program for Botox and Fillers/Juvederm.  The speaker is from Australia.

Here’s an interesting certificate that I got after one of the training programs – they sent it to me via email, but they used the bosses’ name on our practice.  Well, it’s the plastic surgeon wife, but I did the training program.  It’s worth mentioning that her full name is Dr. Tzuying Tammy Wu.  And you can visit her plastic surgery webpage here: www.SurgeryToday.com.  And you can visit my Botox webpage here.

What is it like to be a doctor?

dr-calvin-lee-cropI was recently asked to answer these questions as part of a student’s assignment for school.  She wanted a surgeon to interview.  I have elected to answer these questions as the surgeon that I am today which is different from a decade ago when I was a trauma/general surgeon.  Now I am a surgeon who does acupuncture and cosmetic injections (Botox, Fillers, Kybella – neck, Asclera – veins).  For more information, consider visiting my other webpages www.InjectionArtistry.com and www.SurgeryToday.com 

  • Describe your work environment.

I am a surgeon with additional training with acupuncture and cosmetic injections.   I have worked as a general surgeon and trauma surgeon.   In 2006, I decided that I was going to dedicate my surgical skills to working with needles for the majority of my work as a doctor.  I became an acupuncturist and learned cosmetic surgery from my wife, Dr. Tammy Wu, who is a plastic surgeon.  Our practice is Surgical Artistry, and one of the main focuses of the practice is cosmetic surgery.  About once or twice a month, I have days where I assist the entire day in surgeries with Dr. Wu or other surgeons in our area.  For the most part, I am now mostly an office based doctor – as opposed to one who sees patients in the hospital.  I use three different acupuncture rooms to see patients with varying problems ranging from back pain, neck pain, headaches, athletic injuries to fertility acupuncture.  And then I have one large procedure room where I see my cosmetic injection patients.  The lighting and space design is different in each of these rooms based on the procedure intended for the room.  Surgical Artistry has two physicians – myself and my wife, and at this time 4 full time employees.  We like to keep our work environment clean and neat and be a sanctuary for health and wellness.  It has an open feel to the environment for our employees as we want to foster good communication with our team.  We believe in having our patients be beautiful both with health and appearance.

  • What’s a typical day at work like?

As a surgeon who focuses on acupuncture and cosmetic injections, I see patients from 8am-5pm.  I try to start on time as much as possible and I try to stick to the schedule.  I dislike having patients wait.  Half of my usual day is dedicated to acupuncture and the other half to cosmetic injections.  I go from room to room with no break in between.  I find time for my “breaks” when patients don’t show up or are late to the office.  That is when I prepare a batch of Botox, catch up on emails, enjoy some facebook (my facebook page), maybe even grab a quick bite.  I don’t take a formal lunch break.  I usually work till about 5:05pm.  That’s when I start to have time to write my office medical charts which are important to document the day’s work.  This allows me to record for future medical use when the patients come back, and thus, I can improve on their care.  The medical charting usually takes me about 1-3 hours.  Then I go home.  But sometimes I have to take care of business matters especially since Surgical Artistry is my business.  Sometimes there are employee matters, bills that need to be paid, or leaking roof issues.  So at times I don’t go home till 1am in the morning.   This is pretty much most of my days Monday-Friday.  There are a few days per month which I reserve for surgery assisting where I give my staff a break from my daily grind; I am not at the office on that day, I would spend my day at the hospital going from surgery to surgery.  And my staff spends that day catching up on their paperwork in the office.  The hospital and my office are not connected.  I think there are some lucky doctors who have an office inside a hospital.  Or maybe they consider themselves unlucky because they never get out of that work environment.  Regardless, I have to drive to the hospital from my office and I work at a handful of hospitals such as Stanislaus Surgical Hospital, Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, and Sutter Memorial Hospital in Memorial.  on Stanislaus Surgical Hospital’s home page, they actually have a picture of me as the operating surgeon on their header!

  • What are the three most important responsibilities of your job?

First most important responsibility is getting the patient the best results that I can.  Second most important responsibility is to do this as safely as I can.  This involves good technique and good knowledge.  The third most important responsibility is managing patient expectations – which means that I should spend the time communicating well with the patient and letting the patient ask questions, and I should try to think of questions that the patient might not have thought of himself/herself.

  • What technical skills do you need to do your job?

A tremendous amount of technical skills are required.  Skills involved in navigating around anatomy so that needles are placed accurate.  Steady hands are involved to insure precise delivery of Botox or filler.  Plus there is technique involved which help prevent injury to the patient if the patient were to flinch.  And there are techniques involved which ensures a sense of 3D space and tactile feedback at the tip of each finger.  These are skills which I think take many years to develop and I’m still trying each day to get better.  I became a surgeon because I am attracted to technical skills with my hands.  I received my MD degree in 1997 and every day since then, I’ve been continually trying to improve.

  • What people skills do you need to do your job?

To be a surgeon, acupuncturist, or cosmetic physician.  One has to love people and have a passion for other people’s health.  We are teachers to begin with and we need to teach patients about their current state of health and teach them how to improve upon it.  We have to be convincing as well to help steer them in paths which may not be apparent or easy to them – such as quitting smoking or eating more veggies.  We have to have people skills to communicate well.  And we have to have people skills to not only manage expectations, we have to manage our complications.  Surgeons are only as good as the complications that we’ve managed.  But those complications doesn’t just involve technical skill, they involve all sorts of people skills;  We have to listen, empathize, have compassion, instill confidence, communicate effectively, and most of all have patience.

  • Describe a recent problem on the job and how you solved it.

There are always problems, but by being a cosmetic physician and acupuncturist, my problems may not be as life threatening as a trauma surgeon’s problems.  I realize that it is somewhat less stressful for me since 2006.  But I have the same passion for making sure I focus completely on patient problems.  I’ll just describe something from yesterday’s line of work.  I had a patient come into the office for what seemed to be a routine cosmetic mole removal.  However, on examination and further questioning, it was revealed to me that it was a vascular type of lesion which had a history of bleeding.  The patient was worried that it was going to bleed further because when it did bleed, it was very severe.  I decided that I had to postpone some of my patients for a bit of time and take care of this bleeding mole like structure right away.  I first fired a vascular laser at the base of this lesion and then removed it like a mole and found the bleeding artery – which continued to bleed – but I was able to place an old fashioned figure of eight stitch around the bleeding artery and closed the skin incision which I purposely made.  We sent the mole like structure to pathology to rule out the possibility of cancer.  I discussed with the patient that if this lesion continues to bleed at home that he was to call me on my cell phone and I would meet him immediately at my office even if it was the middle of the night.  It bled more than the usual skin lesion removal because this lesion was in my opinion mostly vascular in nature.

I had anticipated this problem and thought the laser would stop the bleeding before I even began, made a decision to act on it right away, and encountered more bleeding which I had a plan which was my old fashioned stitching.  Then, I made plans for aftercare and in case other problems arise after he leaves (having the patient contact me and meet me at the office).  I’m glad I have a background in trauma surgery and bleeding is really not a big deal to me.

  • What kinds of information do you need use, analyze, and/or stay up to date on how to do your job efficiently?

There are medical journals pertaining to acupuncture and cosmetic injections which I read from time to time.  There are also national/international meetings on acupuncture and cosmetic surgery which I attend regularly.  There’s the collective wisdom of many doctors who can share experiences and ideas which will help my patients in Modesto.  Having the latest info helps me with another aspect of being a doctor – advising my patients on alternatives, even alternatives which I do not have.

  • How do you think your job will change over the next 10 years? Why?

I think for the most part the acupuncture will stay the same and perhaps become more popular with patients.  More and more people in the world seem to be exposed to acupuncture and the idea of healing with less side effects.  The art of acupuncture began about 5000 years ago, and I think much of the practice of acupuncture will stay the same.  But I do think that more points will be discovered as physicians are now more open about sharing.  Regarding cosmetic injections.  I think they will become more popular in the next 10 years as patients are looking for quicker procedures, less invasive and less downtime.

  • What technology and special tools are used by you and others at your workplace?

As a acupuncturist, I don’t think I have any special tools except my hands and a collection of acupuncture needles.  For the cosmetic side, there are many tools such as lasers which help with little red veins on the face, etc.  However, in my own preference of what I do at work, I try to rely mostly on my hands connected to instruments which do not require too much technology, except for the technology which rendered the instruments.  I like special needles for all of my work in acupuncture and cosmetic injections.  There is a lot to the property of a needle.  It is very much like a violin bow.  Needles may all look alike, but they have different characteristics – weight, flexibility, length, angle, sharpness, consistency from one batch to another, and the ability to stay sharp throughout the procedure.

  • What written materials are used at the workplace?

We have written materials on the safety of chemicals at the workplace.  We also have written protocols which I follow for some of the procedures that I perform.  Plus we like checklists.

  • What impact dose the workplace have on the local and global communities?

I particularly like it when I get patients who come from other cities and then get to spend some time enjoying our local economy here in Modesto.  For example, I had a patient from San Francisco, who said that she did all her Christmas shopping in Modesto and got to enjoy our lower sales tax rate.

In general, I think I am here to mainly help our patients in Modesto get the best care that they can.  Globally, I don’t think I’ll have much of an impact unless others want to learn my techniques.

  • What academic skills do you need for your job?

The most important academic skill is the ability to keep learning and improving.  My knowledge of the human body and experience with operating on the human body are at play every day in my work.

  • What are at least two ways you apply mathematics at the workplace?

One way is when I have to calculate the cost and dosage of Botox every day.  This is simple addition and subtraction.  But it is in play all the time.  Even when drawing Botox out of the bottle.  Then there’s the mathematics of injecting it out of the syringe.  You have to make sure you push and stop your thumb at the right moment and that’s math.  Botox arrives as a powder and precise but simple math skills are used to convert that powder into a liquid.  I also use math skills to determine how to best use 1 syringe of filler in a patients face.  The filler is a limited resource and we have a job to do which involves symmetry.   Then there’s more abstract and intuitive math which involves angles – especially when using a long needle.  Then there’s the mathematics of getting the procedures done under the price budget laid out by the cosmetic patient.

  • What are at least two ways you apply communication skills at the work place?

I like to have a detailed conversation with the patient in trying to understand their vision of beauty.  I have my vision, and many times the patient has their beauty.  I need to spend time understanding if my vision and their vision align.  If not, I need to really try harder to understand.  Then I have to communicate what I am capable of doing – which sometimes may not be enough for the patient.  And if I get the feeling that I can’t get my message across, or I can’t understand the patient, then I need to communicate that I am not the right person for the job.

  • What are at least two ways you apply scientific principles or social studies concepts in your work?

In cosmetic medicine, there’s the economical social studies concept of meeting the patient’s budget, and dealing with the supply and demand of Botox/fillers.  We also have to deal with the history of the patients responses to various treatments.  In the end, I want to have high yielding efficient results for the patients which they can afford.

We live in a world of science.  And medicine is the artful application of that science.  So I would say that all that I do as a doctor has a foundation in science which ultimately is an explanation of how things are in the universe.  However what we know of science at this point is just small window into how things are in the universe and sometimes we are misled of what we know of science.  But I would say that science is the best of what we know at this time.  As a surgeon, our main science disciplines is the science of anatomy, the science of physiology, and the science of physics.  The anatomy is the science of having identified body parts.  Naming these parts allows us to communicate efficiently with others.  physiology is the science of how these body parts function.  And as for physics, it is the nature of the interaction between surgeon, instrument, anatomy, and its impact on physiology.

  • What opportunities are there to use creativity or art in your job?

There is always creativity and art in my world of acupuncture, surgery, and cosmetic injections.  Every human being is different and every problem is somewhat unique.  Thus almost every solution for a patient requires creativity and art.  This is why I’ve called my medical practice: “Surgical Artistry.”  There are so many different instruments to use, so many different fillers, different needles, different angles, different locations.  Plus with limited budgets for cosmetic procedures, we have to think creatively to get the work done.  Compromises need to be thought of, but always without sacrificing safety.

As for Acupuncture. There are creativity needed in picking effective points for the patient.  Each problem has a unique set of problems.  Back pain patients sometimes even have the problem of not being able to lay on the table a certain way.  So we have to think of ways to get the patient comfortable – perhaps in a chair or perhaps with rolls under their knees, etc.

  • How long were you in school?

First 12 years got me past high school.  Then I did 4 years of college.  Then I did 4 years of medical school.  At this point I got my MD degree – but that’s without any formal surgery training.  Thus to continue on to become a surgeon,  I did 1 year of surgery internship, then I did 5 additional years of surgery residency.  At this point I became a board-eligible Surgeon.  As for acupuncture, I did 1 additional year after all the surgery training.  I think I took the short route compared to other surgeons.  There are many surgeons who spent more years in school.  I consider all those years to be formal schooling for me.  But in many ways I am still in “school” as my patients are my teachers.

  • How does your job affect your life?

My job is my life.  I think I don’t really have much of a life outside of my job.  It was much more this way when I was doing trauma surgery, but I got in the habit of living the job – always.  I married a surgeon too and we love what we do.  I initially picked surgery because I wanted to live that way of life.  Surgery isn’t a job, it’s a way of life.  But I think I need to start learning to live my life in a different way.  Perhaps it isn’t the healthiest way of life for me – I’m starting to realize that and I’m almost 50 years old.  In fact, I don’t really respond to my first name – which is really part of a person’s normal life.  I respond more to “Dr. Lee.”  As that’s who I am and the majority of my life I’ve been called “Dr. Lee.”  I know many people go through customer service and say that people feel comfortable when they hear their first names.  Not so much in my case… it’s usually my parents or my wife who call me by my first name, and usually if they are using my name, it might mean that I was in trouble.  But hopefully as I change my lifestyle and have a life outside of the medical world, I’ll regain my recognition for my first name again.

  • Why did you want this job?

I was drawn to the world of surgery.  I believe it was some sort of calling.  I think I liked it because it requires great responsibility and the capacity to make others happy.  Perhaps also, it was the ability to fix a problem rather quickly.  I also feel that I have a gift of using my hands and wanted to use my gift.  In addition, I was drawn to the world of acupuncture because I wanted to have medical solutions with low cost in terms of side effects – I wasn’t happy with some of the side effects created by medications.  But in the end, I came to realize that acupuncture is just another branch of Surgery.  Blade or needle, either way, we heal with steel.

 

 

Chronology about Dr. Calvin Lee, Botox Surgeon

I hope we make good choices – maybe somewhat strange?. I wrote this as part of the “about us” on a Botox web page:


 

In 1989, Dr. Calvin Lee was accepted to Harvard and Stanford Universities, but he decided to go to Brown University. Dr. Calvin Lee and Dr. Tammy Wu are graduates of Brown University Medical School in 1997. Dr. Tammy Wu graduated top of her medical school class.  They experienced expert surgery residency training at Case Western Reserve and Southern Illinois Universities.

In 2002, Dr. Calvin Lee was offered surgical jobs in San Diego and Los Angeles, but he decided to go to Modesto.  There, he worked as a General / Trauma Surgeon with the McHenry Medical Group (now called First Choice Physicians). Dr. Tammy Wu was offered a position in an international MicroSurgery fellowship, but decided to join Dr. Calvin Lee in Modesto, accepting a Plastic Surgery position with Sutter Gould. Together, they formed Surgical Artistry in 2006.

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Question about Dentists and Botox

I got this Botox question today and I thought I’d share:

I have a question after reading your list of injectors in your area and out of curiosity why would a DDS need to do Botox injections?

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My Botox Answer:

Hi!  GREAT question!! Some of the best injectors of Botox I know in this world are Dentists!! They know facial anatomy very well. But one of the biggest roles that Dentists play with Botox is injections for TMJ / Jaw pain. Some of the injections are outside the mouth and some of those injections can be inside the mouth. So out of the concept of doing their jobs very well, many dentists have Botox in their stock, and it’s probably convenient for them to consider injecting cosmetic Botox in addition to Botox for pain. But I think due to the cost of Botox and short acting efficacy of reconstituted Botox (meaning it doesn’t stay fresh for a long time), it probably doesn’t seem to be financially a worthwhile thing to do for Dentists (and surgeons for that matter). So most Dentists and Surgeons choose not to focus on Botox at work. I do, because it compliments my wife’s practice very well, and I’m all for supporting my wife’s plastic surgery practice. But if a dentist or surgeon wanted to inject Botox – I think they would do a very very good job, especially if they made it their primary focus at work for whatever reason. I hope this helps answer the question.

——-

 

What helps surgical dexterity? Piano practice!

I’m always thinking about Surgery, Botox, Kybella, and Acupuncture.  I think that piano practice is a small subset of my surgical world which helps me with everything.

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I just heard about a Concerto piano competition in Los Angeles which requires a video submission as part of the first round.  If I make it past the judging of the video and make it to the next round, I have to play a movement from a piano concerto.  I’ve never played a piano concerto before, but I might be able to figure it out.

But first, I’m not sure which video to send.  Any suggestions on which video is best?

Version #1:  Chopin Harp Etude

 

Version #2: Chopin Harp Etude

 

Mr. Bearthoven Version #3:

Mr. Bear and I wrote this piece together along with a strong influence from Chopin.  I played the track first, then added Mr. Bear to the picture.  I kinda made this by accident, but I’m glad it worked out.   On another note, I am pretty sure that Chopin wouldn’t approve.

Operating room becomes concert hall for two Modesto boys

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We had a good time dressing up in scrubs and playing the violin at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California 6/6/15.

I had an opportunity on Saturday to spend some time with two amazing brothers who have passion for violin and aspire to become surgeons.  I heard about them through social media, and I wanted a chance to meet them.  Doctors Medical Center and the Modesto Chamber of Commerce helped to set this up.  We were able to give them a brief tour of the operating room areas, and we had a private concert in a large operating room which is used for storage and backup in case of disaster trauma.   We played some violin for each other.  I was especially intrigued that they wanted to become surgeons.  I wanted to give them a friendly taste of surgery life.  I especially enjoyed giving them a chance to try out our surgical outfits, and I think they enjoyed spending time in an operating room – in a non-threatening way.  And I wanted to impart that performing surgery is much like performing musical instruments.  Jorge and Sebastian have a great deal of potential.  I am honored to be able to spend a few moments with them.

I also got to meet a very talented Modesto Bee writer.  She says she normally writes crime stories, but in this case I think she’s wearing a different hat:

Getting interviewed.
Getting interviewed by Modesto Bee’s Erin Tracy.

 

Below is the article from the Modesto Bee (text copied and texted), please visit the link below for the actual website which has a video and many other pictures.  The pictures and videos in this blog are my own.  But the article belongs to Erin Tracy and the Modesto Bee.

First, some of what I played that day on the violin:

Modesto Bee Article by Erin Tracy:

Operating room becomes concert hall for two Modesto boys

The operating table became a music stand, surgery lights transformed into stage lights, and forceps and scalpels were replaced with violins and bows for a special concert at Doctors Medical Center on Saturday.

Two Modesto boys – Jorge Mendoza, 12, and Sebastian Mendoza, 8 – had a booming business at the hospital last month during Lemonade Day, a nationwide program designed to educate children about business.

When violin-playing surgeon Dr. Calvin Lee learned the boys intended to use the lemonade stand’s profits for summer music camp and to save for a violin, he was intrigued.

When he was told Jorge also was interested in becoming a surgeon, he decided he had to meet the boys.

“I think playing the violin helps you become a better surgeon,” Lee said. “Because of the dexterity skills and the ability to break complex tasks down to a simple thing.”

He wasn’t able to make it to Lemonade Day, but with the help of hospital staff the doctor arranged for something even better: a concert in one of the operating rooms.

Jorge was dressed for the occasion in a sharp pinstriped suit, and Sebastian looked handsome in a blue plaid shirt.

Before entering the O.R., though, they covered up with green scrubs to match Dr. Lee. He taught them to tuck in the drawstring on the pants.

“Only the TV doctors let them hang out,” he said.

After a brief tour, the concert began in operating room 12.

Jorge and Sebastian first played a duet by Mozart, followed by a Beethoven solo by Jorge and Sebastian’s rendering of “Dragon Hunter” by Richard Meyer.

Then, Lee wowed the boys with Bach.

“As a trauma/general surgeon, Bach meant a lot to me,” he said. “When I hear the music of Bach, sometimes I feel like there’s somebody looking over me, guiding my hands.”

Lee worked as a surgeon at Doctors Medical Center from 2003 to 2006 but since has opened a plastic surgery practice, Surgical Artistry in Modesto, with his wife, Dr. Tammy Wu.

Wu was in the audience Saturday, along with the boys’ parents, Jorge Mendoza Sr. and Erika Mendoza, Modesto Councilwoman Jenny Kenoyer, Modesto Chamber of Commerce president Cecil Russell and hospital spokeswoman Tiffani Burns.

Jorge said he was initially a bit nervous about playing for Lee, “because I could tell he was going to be better than me and I’m so used to being really good since I only play at school.”

On Lemonade Day, he and Sebastian made a gross profit of $933.

After paying back the loan from their mother for overhead costs, the boys donated $125 to the Make a Wish Foundation. Sebastian bought a remote-controlled car, and Jorge used $190 to pay the balance owed for music camp after receiving a partial scholarship.

The remainder was put into savings accounts; Jorge is saving up to buy a violin, and Sebastian will use his to attend music camp with his brother in a few years when he’s old enough.

Erin Tracy: (209) 578-2366, @ModestoBeeCrime

Screenshot from the Modesto Bee Newspaper 6/7/15

 

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We can behave and pose for the camera. Yes we can!

 

Walking into the operating room areas at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California
Walking into the operating room areas at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California

Doctors Medical Center Modesto

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I seem to always have something to say

 

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Look at that intensity!

 

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Young violinist surgeons in the making.

 

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There we go, I need some Botox for sure.
There we go, I need some Botox for sure.

 

modesto bee facebook with comments

 

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Thank you for visiting this page.  Consider visiting my Modesto Botox home page.

About Me, About My Botox practice

I thought I needed to try to write something recent about myself at Surgical Artistry.  This is what I came up with:

 

Botox, Juvederm, Voluma, Belotero injections – my goal is to provide cosmetic injections at the highest level. I value quality surgical level outcomes, patient safety, comfort & communication.

My Modesto Botox Page

I am a Board Certified General Surgeon with a past trauma career who assists in plastic surgeries and spinal cord stimulator / spinal pain pump surgeries.  I am also an Acupuncturist who injects Botox as an extension of Acupuncture.  Many of my Botox point selections are related Acupuncture points for migraine headaches and wrinkle prevention.  40% of my clinical time is spent at work is spent on Acupuncture, and 50% of my time is spent with cosmetic injections for Botox, Fillers, and Veins, and 10% of my time is spent assisting in surgeries.   In a clinic day, it is common for me to use 200 units of Botox, 4 syringes of dermal fillers, and see about 6 acupuncture patients.

Outside of my clinical time, I also spend a great deal of time as an administrator of Surgical Artistry – the combined medical office for myself and my wife, Dr. Tammy Wu, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.  We have been surgeons in Modesto since 2003.  My wife and I met while we were students at Brown University.

I am an author for MedicalSpaMD a resource for plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and aesthetic physicians.  I’m also a member of the marketing department of the Cooperative of American Physicians based in Los Angeles.  My hobbies include piano, violin, marathon running, being vegan, creating websites and social media.

What I love about Belotero Balance

What I love about Belotero Balance

I have been an avid user of Belotero Balance for a few years in my cosmetic injection practice. Last month, April 2015, I injected about 4640 units of Botox and 75 syringes of fillers. 20% of the fillers I use is Belotero Balance. Much of what I do with Belotero is considered off-label FDA use. I am a frequent user of cannulas in my filler practice which includes the spectrum of Juvederm available in America and Radiesse.  Juvederm dermal fillers in my Modesto practice include: Juvederm ultra, Juvederm ultra plus, Juvederm ultra xc, Juvederm ultra plus xc, Juvederm Voluma xc.

Briefly about my Modesto Practice

I spend half of my clinical time personally performing cosmetic injections. I think I would be a bit busier if I spent more time on the Botox/filler side of the practice but I have plastic surgery assisting duties (my wife is a plastic surgeon, I am a general surgeon with trauma experience), a small cosmetic vein practice, and I also have an acupuncture practice which I love. After clinical hours, I am an administrator for our plastic surgery practice. I feel that I spend about 80 hours per week on our practice clinical+administrative.   Of course there is room for me to be more efficient.

Belotero is great for

Belotero is great for tear troughs and around the eyes
I use a cannula and lay down Belotero for tear troughs. It works well for many tear troughs, and flows very well through a cannula. I’ve learned over the years to tell the patients that the duration in that area seems to average about 6 months. Of course this varies from patient to patient. I was a Juvederm user for almost all tear troughs before and ran into some trouble with swelling for a few patients. I still run into some swelling issues with Belotero but it is much less. It also works well for building up a little bit of the cheek above the zygoma laterally.

Great for forehead lines
Some fine forehead lines are amenable to Belotero filling. It is especially useful for those patients who want a smoother forehead with less brow drooping which can happen with overzealous Botox use on the forehead. It is also great for those wrinkles in the eyebrows.

Great for a touch up on the oral commissures
Belotero is wonderful just as a small touch to a slight downturn in the oral commissure. I’m not talking about the entire marionette line, but just the corner of the mouth and injected superficially.

Great for crows feet
I need to be careful with the bruising in this area but it works well for some of the fine crows feet lines. It works well with Botox to battle those light static lines.

Great for neck lines
Those horizontal lines – belotero becomes very labor intensive but well worth it. The patients get a bit of bumpy look for the first 2-3 weeks, but it settles and the Belotero works well to integrate into the skin.

Great for chest
Or some call it decollatage area. These crinkles thicken up well, with belotero for many patients, I have to bend the needle to get the angle I need.  It really does look like it integrate into the skin after two weeks.

Serial Puncture method
Yes, this is useful, and can at times reduce bruising because the needle doesn’t go in very deep. A wrinkle is injected several times about 2 mm apart and the needle just barely goes into the skin. For most of what I like to do with Belotero, except for the tear troughs, I am injecting very superficially. If I’m threading the needle through (ie, in neck lines), I can see the needle through the skin. This superficial needling probably has an added collagen induction characteristic for the patients – similar to microneedling.

Superficial injections for longer lasting effect
Superficial injections lead to longer lasting effect. I have found that deeper injections in areas with movement seem to eat up the Belotero in 3 months. But 5-6 months can be derived from superficial injections.

I would recommend Belotero to other injectors
I like Belotero and would recommend it as part of our creative set of tools for beauty. It’s like a very thin paintbrush. And Belotero works well with other fillers in a layered approach.

2013 samm mile marker - 22 full - surgical artistry2 - cropped

32 years of full time work to START my Botox – Acupuncture – Surgeon career

How long does it take to become a doctor?

Quick answer:  For me it took me about 32 years of full time work to become a Surgeon / Acupuncturist / Cosmetic Physician.

I am a Board Certified General Surgeon with a past trauma career who assists in plastic surgeries and spinal cord stimulator / spinal pain pump surgeries.  I am also an Acupuncturist who injects Botox as an extension of Acupuncture.  Many of my Botox point selections are related Acupuncture points for migraine headaches and wrinkle prevention.  40% of my clinical time is spent at work is spent on Acupuncture, and 50% of my time is spent with cosmetic injections for Botox, Fillers, and Veins, and 10% of my time is spent assisting in surgeries.   In a usual clinic day, It is common for me to use 250 units of Botox, 7 syringes of dermal fillers, and see about 6 acupuncture patients.  Outside of my clinical time, I also spend a great deal of time as an administrator of Surgical Artistry – the combined medical office for myself and my wife, Dr. Tammy Wu, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.

While discussing “life” with another surgeon friend. I sort of wondered why a chunk of my life seemed to be missing; I never caught on with today’s technology (I don’t have a TV or smart phone – yet as of 4/26/15). We calculated how many hours went into my training to become a surgeon/acupuncturist/Botox injector after high school. We came to the conclusion that for me it was roughly 58,000 hours! That’s more than 32 years at a full time job to do what I do as a surgeon/acupuncturist. Yikes – who does stuff like that?? (I guess I did).

Hours spent becoming a doctor.
Hours spent becoming a doctor in the USA.  This cut-off graphic doesn’t take into account fellowships and research time.  Please see the links below for more detail.

 

I did not make this really nice graphic above.

I just found this online which shows that most doctors spend 20 years in full-time work hours to do what they do. I was coincidentally calculating how many hours of formal training it took me to become a Surgeon/Acupuncturist/Botox injector: My conclusion is 32 years at a full time job (58,000) hours. Here’s the website source of the graphic: http://www.bestmedicaldegrees.com/salary-of-doctors/ (warning – it might depress some doctors)

The data for the info seems to come from this webpage: https://benbrownmd.wordpress.com/

Please visit my Modesto Botox home page.

Modesto Surgeons at work
My wife and I work together. Dr. Tammy Wu is wearing the splash guard over her glasses – smart!