In a mid-sized city like Louisville, Kentucky, a certain kind of reputation develops gradually through word-of-mouth at school pickups and neighborhood dinners—the kind where someone leans across a table and says, “You should really see my doctor.” Over the past ten years, Dr. Chet Mays of Mays Plastic Surgery & Med Spa appears to have developed his practice in this manner, as evidenced by the more than 200 positive patient reviews he has accumulated on Google, RealSelf, and Healthgrades.
The office is located a few miles from Louisville’s downtown on the peaceful Oechsli Avenue. Patients describe a clean, slow-moving facility with nurses who remember your name at follow-up appointments and staff who actually return calls. That may seem like a low bar, but anyone who has experienced the sometimes impersonal workings of a busy cosmetic surgery practice will tell you that it is not. In the words of one Google reviewer, everyone she dealt with was both genuinely kind and professional. Another wrote about experiencing a problem months later and returning for a revision following a lipo, breast reduction, and stomach tuck—all of which are significant procedures. The edit was successful. She claimed to be overjoyed. It requires a surgeon who remains committed to the patient, not just a successful surgical outcome.
After completing his plastic surgery residency at the University of Rochester and receiving training at the University of Louisville, Dr. Mays returned to Louisville to establish a practice that has a 4.8 rating across 69 verified reviews on RealSelf. The American Board of Plastic Surgery has certified him as a board member, and from 2022 to 2025, he was named the Best Cosmetic Surgeon by LEO Weekly’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Additionally, he trains residents as a gratis faculty member at the University of Louisville Division of Plastic Surgery, demonstrating his professional dedication to the field beyond its commercial aspects.
Most often, the reviews highlight a few particular aspects. Patients claim that he pays attention. They claim he doesn’t push unnecessary procedures and occasionally directs patients toward less costly non-surgical alternatives rather than scheduling them in the operating room. Several reviewers state that they were genuinely surprised by the unlimited post-surgery follow-up visits. That aftercare model appears to be very important in a specialty where some patients feel abandoned as soon as they are discharged. People who felt cared for during the challenging weeks of recovery may become ardent supporters, which may explain a large portion of the loyalty the practice fosters.
Nevertheless, there are some complications in the picture. A few negative accounts have surfaced on Reddit’s Louisville thread. One patient describes a troubling situation involving a provider whose work allegedly caused significant facial damage, and who claims that provider was later hired by the practice. Dr. Mays has not publicly addressed that account in any online forum, and it is unreliable and biased. Treating it as fact would be unjust. However, it is present in the discourse surrounding the practice, awkwardly coexisting with the five-star evaluations. On the same thread, one or two users reported completely positive experiences with tummy tucks and other procedures, describing difficult but worthwhile recoveries with outcomes they said they would repeat.
Now and then, costs come up. According to community discussions, the practice charges about $15,000 for stomach tucks, which some patients find to be more expensive than those of other regional surgeons. At least one patient account claims that financing is available at zero interest for a full year, but anesthesia costs seem to fall outside of those terms. The patient’s values play a major role in determining whether the cost is justified, and the majority of those who have experienced it seem to believe that the comprehensive care justifies the cost.
It’s difficult to ignore the Mays reviews’ overpowering emotional register of relief. Relief, not just contentment. After months of investigation, comparison shopping, hesitation, and eventual commitment, patients report feeling as though they have found someone who treats them as a person rather than a procedure. That is not insignificant. It may be the whole point in a field where results are very personal, and trust is crucial.
