About Surgical Artistry – your Kybella center

ABOUT SURGICAL ARTISTRY

Surgical Artistry was formed in 2006 in Modesto by husband and wife team Dr. Tammy Wu and Dr. Calvin Lee to promote wellness and beauty through Acupuncture, Botox, and Plastic Surgical procedures. Dr. Wu and Dr. Lee had educational opportunities at Brown University, Harvard, Stanford, Case Western Reserve, and Southern Illinois University. Dr. Wu graduated top of her medical school class at Brown University. Dr. Lee on the violin was concertmaster of orchestras at Brown University, Harvard University and in New York where he grew up. He believes that playing musical instruments improves the dexterity required to be a good surgeon. Dr. Wu and Dr. Lee came to Modesto in 2003. Dr. Tammy Wu is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and Dr. Calvin Lee is a Board Certified General Surgeon with specialized experience in Trauma. He became an Acupuncturist in 2006. Surgical Artistry has evolved since 2010 to become independent of medical insurances. Thus the procedures we do today are those that are usually not covered by insurance, or poorly covered by insurance. Tummy Tucks, Breast Augmentation, Cosmetic Botox for wrinkles on the face, Kybella injection for Double Chin, and Acupuncture are the majority of our procedures at Surgical Artistry.

We are proud supporters of the arts and healthy living in Central Valley and Sacramento. We are founders of the Gallo Center for the Arts, founding title sponsors for the Surgical Artistry Modesto Symphony Pops Series / Surgical Artistry Modesto Symphony Fat Cat Classics 2006-2009, and founding title sponsors for the Surgical Artistry Modesto Marathon

Please feel free to call us for more information (209) 551-1888. And visit one of our self-made 100+ websites: www.SurgeryToday.com, www.ModestoKybella.com, www.ModestoBreastSurgery.com, www.ModestoTummyTuck.com, www.InjectionArtistry.com, www.ModestoAcupuncture.com, www.ajabwelldone.com

We moved on March 22, 2019 to Dale Road. Our new address is:

Surgical Artistry
4754 Dale Road
Modesto, CA 95356

(209) 551-1888

Dr. Lee self-proclaims that he made the first plastic surgery webpage in the world back in 1995 and it was for the Brown University department of Plastic Surgery.

January 20, 2017January 20, 2017

How much for Botox

On Facebook, I was posting about a Kybella live injection demonstration event at my office, Surgical Artistry in Modesto, and I got a few questions about Kybella and a few questions about Botox. I wanted to try to answer this Botox question here which was a question about how much Botox costs. I think this is a somewhat difficult question to answer because everyone wants something different. Sometimes extremely different. But this answer might be a good generalization

How much for Botox?

I approach all my procedures as surgical procedures including my Botox injections. Injected by me, I charge $12.75 per unit for Botox (2017 pricing, subject to change). To expand this further, Let’s say one was to inject the glabellar complex (the area between the eyes). On average I use 20 units for that area. That comes out to $255 (2017 pricing, subject to change). However that might not be the right amount based on your goals. We can definitely do less or do more. There are pros and cons to each decision and I would work hard to listen and create the right result for each unique patient. And I would work hard to make sure the Botox was used very efficiently without any wasting of the very very valuable product! Thanks for asking!

I wrote this little essay which might be of interest:

What it means to me to be your doctor

January 18, 2017January 18, 2017

What it means to me to be your doctor

I will work hard to listen to my patients’ desired goals and work hard to satisfy every patient. We will have conversations which involve my brutal honesty. Patients will not be allowed to leave until I feel that I’ve completed my best work for what we had planned. I welcome patients with “high standards” because I have very high standards myself.

There are patients out there who believe that a “syringe is a syringe” and that the surgeon doesn’t matter. Those folks can go elsewhere. In the end, I hope my patients will put more value in the procedure with me in control rather than the generic “vial” or generic “syringe” which can’t inject itself. And I hope my patients will believe that I will always try to give them the best value for the highest quality. I strive to use the least amount of product for maximum result.

I view all my needle related procedures (acupuncture, Kybella, Botox, Juvederm, etc) as minimally invasive surgeries. They ARE surgeries. For me, they require, surgical planning and surgical precision.

My big three aims are to achieve excellence with safety, results, and comfort. Complications can sometimes happen, and if they occur, I will do all that I can to resolve it.

I am truly honored to your doctor. Thank you to all my patients for trusting me and allowing me to practice medicine, acupuncture and surgery at the highest level possible.

I think this explains very well my reason for creating and working at Surgical Artistry. I think in some ways they call this a personal “mission statement.” I work with needles all day. I place needles for Acupuncture. I inject Kybella, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, Voluma, Volbella, and Asclera for veins.

January 11, 2017January 11, 2017

Allergan top 500 accounts

In my estimate, Allergan has tens of thousands of accounts across America. In fact, I had figured out from what my patients tell me that there are about 51 other Botox (and maybe Kybella) injectors that my patients could easily drive to. So there are a lot of account. I can’t vouch that all these accounts are folks that purchase directly from Allergan USA, etc. Anyway, I’m super thankful that my patients chose me for their injection of Botox or Kybella. If anyone is interested here is a list that I built up just based on conversations I’ve had with my Botox patients regarding where they have either gotten Botox before or where their friends get Botox: Listing of Botox injectors in the Modesto area.

Allergan has a internal ranking system of practices which encourages some friendly competition. These are the levels:

Silver
Gold
Platinum
Platinum Plus
Diamond
Top 500
Top 250
Top 50
Top 25
Top 10

They used to have a “Black Diamond” but that got replaced by top 500. This replacement probably happened a year or two ago.

I was at the Platinum Plus level for about 2 years, and just last year (the second half of last year), I got elevated to Diamond level. The Allergan company tells me that Diamond level means that one among the top 4% of their accounts. The points that get considered for this ranking includes purchases of Botox, Kybella, Latisse, Juvederm, Voluma, Volbella, SkinMedica, and Natrelle Breast Implants. We don’t currently purchase SkinMedica products and we have very few Natrelle Breast Implants. This means that I made it to the Diamond level mainly on facial aesthetic injections.

383 is my ranking as of 1/9/17. But this is “artificially” inflated because I just made an order on 1/6/17 of 70 boxes of 100U Botox Vials.

Interestingly, they will tempt you with a ranking in the top 500 when you quickly dip into that list when you make a sizable order. This number changes rapidly. One gets locked into the top 500 apparently if you can be IN the top 500 list by the end of January 2017. So I’m currently just got to Diamond level, and maybe, just maybe, I can sustain a top 500 ranking till the end of this month. As of 1/9/17, my ranking is 383. But this can rapidly fall in a few days out of the top 500, but I thought I’d at least take a screen capture. Or maybe, just maybe, I can get a new status and claim to be a top 500 account by the end of January, 2017. In the end, this is all just for fun. I know that quality is much more important than quantity.

Here I am picture with an award that I got in 2016 when I solidified myself as a Diamond level account with Allergan. Thank you for the award.

January 11, 2017

Wonderful review from a physician from Los Angeles

Gosh, thank you so much for this amazing review written in plain sight on FaceBook. I do hope that my wife and I can live up to these very kind words. We have much work to do and much to improve. So, we will try to strive for better outcomes and experiences every day. This goes for our work with Breast Augmentation, Tummy Tucks, Botox, Kybella, Fillers and Acupuncture.

We love our world here in Modesto, CA and we hope we would make Modesto proud of us. Thank you again for the wonderful review.

January 10, 2017February 10, 2017

Surgical Artistry is 1 year older than the iPhone

I just heard on NPR today that the iPhone turns 10 years old today. Today is 1/9/17. This means that on 1/9/2007 the iPhone was unveiled to the world by Apple.

We are 1 year older than the iPhone!!!

Timeline of events

2003 – Dr. Lee and Dr. Wu came to Modesto from Springfield Illinois.
2006 – Surgical Artistry was founded. Birthday is 2/24/2006.
2006 – Dr. Calvin Lee plays heavy metal on the violin at the Fat Cat with famed violinist Rachel Barton
2006 – Dr. Calvin Lee was given the award as Outstanding Community Faculty Physician by the Stanislaus Family Practice Residence, affiliated with UC Davis and Doctors Medical Center of Modesto.
2007 – Surgical Artistry becomes a founding Presenting Sponsor of the Surgical Artistry Modesto Symphony Pops series.
2008 – Dr. Tammy Wu came on the board of directors for the Cooperative of American Physicians based in Los Angeles.
2008 – Dr. Calvin Lee plays at the Gallo Center for the first time as part of an Assyring Rock Band with Walter Aziz and Ashur Bet Sargis.
2009 – Dr. Calvin Lee played violin with the YouTube Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This is his second time at Carnegie Hall.
2009 – Dr. Lee had a write up about his violin playing in Strings Magazine
2009 – Dr. Lee and Dr. Wu, as Surgical Artistry, helped to start the Surgical Artistry Modesto Marathon. The date was 11/13/2009
2009 – Dr. Lee soloed and toured around Asian countries playing violin
2011 – Dr. Lee got to be a speaker for Allergan on the topic of Latisse
2012 Boston Channel 5 aired a clip on Dr. Calvin Lee performing facial rejuvenation acupuncture.
2015 – Dr. Lee becomes the first surgeon to inject Kybella in Central Valley, California. It was an honor to be selected to have access to Kybella by the Kythera company who developed Kybella.
2015 – Dr. Lee won a piano concerto competition and soloed with orchestra in Los Angeles
2016 – Surgical Artistry became presenting sponsor for Rina’s Run half marathon, 10K and 5K in Ripon
2016 – had the 7th running of the Surgical Artistry Modesto Marathon
2016 – Surgical Artistry became presenting sponsor for Modesto Moves and Ripon-Manteca Moves.
2016 – 3rd year in a row of getting the Best-of Stanislaus award from Contentment Health Magazine.
2016 – Dr. Lee and Surgical Artistry gets an award from Allergan becoming a Diamond Level account, top 4% of accounts.
2017 – Dr. Lee finally gets his first smart phone.
2017 – Dr. Calvin Lee / Surgical Artistry becomes top 500 account at Allergan. We estimate that Allergan has 20-30,000 accounts in the USA.

January 8, 2017

More than 3 vials of Kybella per session?

Yes, I use frequently use more than 3 vials of Kybella per session

I frequently use more than 3 vials of Kybella per session. I feel that allows my patients to get the most out of each session.

Here’s picture proof from one Kybella session. Here are 7 syringes which come out of more than 3 vials of Kybella.

How much does Kybella cost?

January 8, 2017January 8, 2017

How much does Kybella cost?

Kybella Pricing for the neck

I’m going to answer the question regarding the procedure of getting Kybella rather than how much does Kybella cost Surgical Artistry to obtain from Allergan.

I treat each procedure that I do as a surgery. Thus the Kybella procedures require surgical planning and execution. I also would like to get the best results that I can get from each session. Most patients will need 2-4 sessions of Kybella.

I don’t entirely like the idea of charging by the vial of Kybella. Because by doing it that way, I think the patients and the injector have a tendency to short-change the amount of Kybella injected. I think it is natural to think about the possibility of just doing one vial of Kybella in order to save money. However, I feel that one vial of Kybella is usually not enough. Same goes for just two vials of Kybella. With my personal philosophy of doing the absolute best for my patients, I will want to use the maximum amount of Kybella that I can for maximal results each session, and thus I charge by the session. But I can definitely change my practice and charge by the vial and at this point, my patients would be paying more in that fashion. Thus for now, I’ll stick to charging for the whole procedure instead of vial by vial.
I usually use about 3 vials of Kybella per visit. I don’t entirely follow the grid that was provided by the manufacturer, I try to see if I can customize it even more for each patient. I frequently use even more than 3 vials of Kybella.
Starting in 2017, I charge $1450 for each session of Kybella, and most patients will need 3-4 sessions.
In the years 2015 and 2016, I charged $2000 for the first neck session with me and the $1500 for the second session with me, and $1000 for the subsequent sessions with me (3rd, 4th, and 5th sessions). Yes, some patients went to 5 sessions. Patients who started on this path will continue on this pricing structure for 2017 and beyond if needed. Sometimes the $1000 per session is below my own cost of doing Kybella – as I get beyond 3 vials of product.

Kybella Vials at Surgical Artistry, Modesto

My first Kybella webpage made in July 2015

I was one of the first physicians in the world to use Kybella. I am thankful for such a privilege. Since then, I’ve come to really appreciate the power of having a strong and beautiful neck profile. I am the first surgeon in Central Valley to inject Kybella into patients.

Feel free to visit my first Kybella webpage

More than 3 vials of Kybella per session?

January 8, 2017January 8, 2017

Collection of Kybella Videos (official)

Testimonial Videos produced by the Kybella Company

The first five videos shown here are produced by Allergan. The last video on this page was done informally at our office in Modesto which shows me injecting one of our staff members. I think it is valuable to see an actual Kybella injection. We don’t currently have any fancy microphones thus, our conversation isn’t easily heard. Furthermore, it’s already a bit hard to hear a surgeon who’s mumbling behind a surgical mask.

Kybella Testimonial from Nikki: