Why choose Dr. Tammy Wu for your plastic surgery?

• Her consultations for many surgeries are very detailed, they can last from 1 hour to 1.5 hours.  This is direct one-on-one contact with Dr. Tammy Wu, the Plastic Surgeon, not with a representative.
• We do not have any exclusive contracts with any of the breast implant makers (such as Mentor or Allergan/Inamed), prosthesis, or meshes.  She only chooses with our patients what is considered the best products for the patient and his/her unique goals - without regard to contracts or quotas.
• Dr. Wu is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• She is a top intellectual and extremely skilled with her dexterity, and has extremely high standards for herself.  She graduated number one from her medical school (Brown University, Ivy League), scored over 95th percentile on several national tests for plastic surgeons, and graduated from a top Plastic Surgery training program (Southern Illinois University), where graduates have become chairmen at Harvard University Programs and Presidents of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  Formerly as a runner, she has won many races in her age group. 
• She is a gifted communicator.  Language skills is her talent.  Besides being fluent in English, Chinese, and Taiwanese - Dr. Tammy Wu participated in a national French language competition (before medical school) and she placed 2nd in the United States for speaking French.  She has also worked as a reporter for a radio station at Brown University.  And currently she has been seen with multiple appearances on Modesto television stations discussing plastic surgery and breast augmentation.
• She is a teacher:  She is currently on the staff of UC Davis as a Volunteer Assistant Professor.  She has also taught several rotating medical students, physician assistant students, and nursing students while working in Modesto.  She runs a program called Surgical Artistry Academy which teaches the community about medicine in general and cosmetic surgery.
• She is a musician and pianist:  She is mainly self taught on the piano.  It gives her a chance to improve on her dexterity skills which translate into extreme precision in the operating room when performing breast augmentations.  She is an active supporter of the performing arts, especially via the Modesto Symphony and Gallo Center for the Arts.
• She is an athlete:  Formerly as a runner, she has won many races (mostly 5k's) in her age group.  She has run 2 marathons in the past, several 10K's and half marathons.  With her interest in athletics, she is well qualified to discuss any changes or concerns in chest muscles function with breast augmentation, liposuction, or tummy tuck surgeries.  Visit her popular website for running with breast implants - a runner's guide to choosing and maintaining breast implants.
• She is an expert with all aspects of breast surgery.  She performs not only breast augmentation surgery and breast augmentation revisions, she also performs breast reductions, breast cancer reconstructions, and nipple reconstructions.
• Access to a general surgeon (Dr. Lee) for hernias discovered during tummy tuck.  General Surgeons specialize in repairing hernias.  Dr. Wu has easy access to Dr. Lee's expertise for hernias if they are found during your tummy tuck.  If we suspect a hernia prior to surgery we make plans to have your abdominal hernia surgery done at the same time.  If we discover the hernia during the tummy tuck surgery, we will consider fixing your hernia and make arrangements to bill your insurance.
• Having two surgeons take care of you.  Dr. Lee is always available to offer his surgical skills (Trauma Surgery and General Surgery) in addition to Dr. Wu's plastic surgery expertise.  Many plastic surgery offices have medical assistants (we have those too), we have Dr. Lee to help in your surgeries and recovery.
• She is very experienced.  See the next section on profile of Dr. Tammy Wu's practice.  Plus she has been an investigator for the new silicone breast implants.  She has been practicing plastic surgery since 1997, and has been practicing plastic surgery in Modesto since 2003.  When she came to Modesto, she worked at Sutter Gould as their only plastic surgeon.  She frequently saw 40 patients per day.  She started her own practice (Surgical Artistry, Inc) in February 2006 and was joined by her husband, Dr. Lee in June 2006.
• She is a busy surgeon.  We believe that surgery is a performance art.  This means that large volumes of quality work (surgeries) lead to better results.  See the statistics right below in this pink box (Dr. Wu's one year practice profile).
• Has been a patient herself.  She has been a consumer of plastic surgery procedures.
• Patient safety is of highest concern:  She operates at hospital affiliated surgery centers and uses board certified anesthesiologists.  This way she has access to all the equipment and expertise available to a hospital, rather than have the operation be office based.
• Surgeon accessibility:  Patients can receive access to Dr. Wu 24/7 via cell phone.  Dr. Lee is also accessible 24/7.
• Emphasis on reducing pain:  She has ready access to pain reducing techniques.  Dr. Lee works in the office and routinely performs pain reducing acupuncture on many other patients.  Dr. Wu's brother is an anesthesiologist in Los Angeles, and has given much advice on pain management during and after surgery.  And she routinely uses long acting pain medicines (such as marcaine) injected into the surgical sites and at times will use pain pumps.
• Her breast augmentation surgeon's fee and  for other procedures are competitively priced.  Plus she has negotiated lowered rates at the hospital and with anesthesiologists.  Her surgeons fee as of 6-23-08 (not including hospital or anesthesia or implants): ranges from $3200 - $4400 (prices will change, please call our office:  209-551-1888, we can give you the ranges of the entire operation with implants included which currently ranges from $5000 to $7500 for saline implants.)  There are certain cost advantages to having your surgery done in the Central Valley, California rather than in more expensive coastal areas.  She also does not mark up the cost of the breast implants nor does she mark up anesthesia or hospital fees.  These are all "pass-thru" costs to her patients.

Dr. Tammy Wu's one year practice profile 10-23-06 to 10-23-07:

• Exact number of new patients seen over the last year:  678
• Exact number of patient visits over the one year period:  3665
• Range in number of new patients seen over one month:  40-80
• Range in number of patient visits over one month:  200-450
• Range in number of breast surgeries per month:  14-22
• Number of surgeries performed in that one year period (2006-2007):  281
• Number of years since graduation from medical school:  Over 12 years
• Number of years in Modesto, CA:  Over 6 years
• Number of full time employees in Modesto:  5
• Total number of employees:  8
• Days per week worked:  5-7 days per week.
• Surgery days per week: 2-5 days per week.
• Operating and hospital privileges:  Yes.  Several hospitals:  Doctors Medical Center Modesto.  Doctors Medical Center Manteca.  Stanislaus Surgical Hospital Modesto, Memorial Medical Center Modesto.
• On-call for hospitals:  Yes.  Doctors Medical Center, Modesto and Memorial Medical Center, Modesto.
• Before and after pictures:  Yes.  Free viewing in the office.  Not on websites for patient privacy.  Call our office to make an appointment to see our before and after book.
• Modesto office square feet:  3000+
• Modesto Location:  2336 Sylvan Ave. Suite C.  Modesto, CA 95355 (driving directions)
• Telephone (Modesto):  209-551-1888
• Email:  staff [at] surgerytoday.com
• Website:  www.TammyWu.com

Statistics listed above provided by our EMR Software PrognoCis.  Statistics performed on 10-23-07.

A bit about Dr. Calvin Lee

Calvin Lee, MD is a board certified General Surgeon who has a separate practice dedicated to acupuncture.  He has been trained in acupuncture with courses affiliated with Stanford University and relatives and friends trained in acupuncture from China, Taiwan, and Los Angeles, USA.

Dr. Calvin Lee is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery

As a surgeon, Dr. Calvin Lee brings to acupuncture a deeper understanding of acupuncture anatomy - having operated in many of the areas which involve acupuncture needles.  Acupressure is also a modality used instead of or in conjunction with acupuncture needles depending on the situation.  Dr. Lee also brings surgical dexterity to acupuncture maneuvers.  Countless hours in the operating room performing trauma surgeries, vein procedures and breast surgeries such as sentinel lymph node biopsies and modified radical mastectomies allow for anatomical experience and surgical dexterity.  There are many reasons for a surgeon to practice acupuncture besides anatomy and dexterity.  Acupuncture allows Dr. Lee to take care of post operative discomfort (such as nausea) and problems (such as slowed gastrointestinal tract) with Surgical Artistry surgical patients.  In many respects, acupuncture can be considered a surgical specialty, but the treatment isn't so much an anatomical treatment, but one that affects the energy flow through your body.

With his expertise with needles, Dr. Lee branched out in 2006 to complement his wife's cosmetic practice by performing Botox and Filler injections.  On a routine acupuncture day, Dr. Lee carefully inserts about 400 needles per day.

Dr. Calvin Lee, MD was born in New York City.  He gradually made his way to Brown University (he was accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and many other universities) where he received an undergraduate degree in Neurosciences.  He also performed brain related research during his years in medical school which was also at Brown University.  He met his wife, Dr. Tammy Wu at Brown University.  His neuroscience background brings a scientific background to acupuncture. After medical school he pursued General Surgery training at Case Western Reserve and Southern Illinois University.  While at Southern Illinois University, he received a teaching award for teaching medical students and surgical residents.  Formal medical acupuncture training was obtained subsequently at Stanford University with Joseph Helms, MD leading the courses.  He is currently an assistant professor at UC Davis for teaching surgery to family practice residents, physician assistants, and medical residents.  He was given a teaching award in 2006 for teaching UC Davis students.  Besides acupuncture, Dr. Lee has an active general surgery practice which includes a comprehensive treatment of veins.  He is board certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery.  He came to Modesto in 2003 and worked with the McHenry Medical Group and served as a Trauma Surgeon for Doctor's Medical Center (DMC) Modesto.  He started his own practice in Modesto in 2006.  Surgical Artistry, Inc, is the name of his practice with Dr. Tammy Wu. 

His hobbies include running, playing piano and violin to excel with surgical dexterity, making web pages, and search engine optimization.

Some highlights of Dr. Lee's accomplishments

As a medical doctor & surgeon:

• University National Scholar, Brown University (top 1% of Brown University)
• Board Certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery, current
• Memorial Hospital VNA Doctor's Day Award 2006
• Worked as a General Surgeon for the McHenry Medical Group 2003-2006
• Accepted to Harvard University, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Cornell & Columbia for undergraduate education, enrolled at Brown University

As a medical professor and teacher:

• Doctors Medical Center Stanislaus Family Practice Residency, UC Davis Outstanding Community Faculty Physician Award 2006
• Surgical Resident Teaching Award, Southern Illinois University, 2002
• Certified to teach at Brown by the Center for Advanced College Teaching 1994
• Head teaching assistant: Introduction to Medicine, Brown Summer School, 1994-95
• Head teaching assistant Brown University Medical School:  Anatomy, 1994

As a web designer:

• Web pages created by Dr. Calvin Lee were mentioned in U.S. News and World reports, 1999
• Created what was considered by researchers to be the most effective online breast cancer support group, 1997.  This may have been the first of its kind.  This group has moved around on the internet and now exists on Yahoo Groups, moved in 1998.
• Made the first Plastic Surgery web page for Brown University, 1996.  The website has since been changed/updated.  The link is to the historical website, not the current website.  Many of the original scans / artwork remain the same to this date.
• Modesto Plastic Surgery Webpages (a listing)

picture by Adrian Luna

As a musician:

• Concertmaster: Brown University Orchestra, 1992-93.  Concertmaster at Harvard 1987.
• Two time winner of the Brown University Concerto Competition, violin.
• Solo appearances with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Rockland County Philharmonic, Brown University Orchestra.
• Won audition for first violin section with Illinois Symphony, a professional orchestra.
• Plays violin and piano.
• Supporter of the Modesto Symphony (on the board of directors), and Gallo Center for the Arts (is a founder)
• Co-founded "Docs Play the Pops" - a medical musician recital and fundraiser for music education in Modesto.
• Conducting, music theory and composition classes at Manhattan Pre-college.
• Music teachings and guidance from:  Mary Canberg, Jamie Buswell, Arlene Cole, Chuck Sherba, and Yan Yan Chan.

Calvin Lee at the
Gallo Center for the Arts, 2008