To choose a plastic surgeon in Fresno, verify five things: certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, an accredited facility or hospital privileges for where your surgery will happen, regular experience with your specific procedure, before-and-after photos of the surgeon’s own patients, and a clear revision policy. Then meet the surgeon in person before you decide.
This guide is about choosing a surgeon, not choosing an operation. The same checks apply whether you are considering surgery of the face, the breast, or the body, and whichever Fresno practice you end up booking with. If you already know what you want done, the procedures we perform are listed separately.
Verify board certification first
In California, any licensed physician can legally perform cosmetic procedures. A medical licence confirms someone is a doctor; it says nothing about whether they trained in surgery of the face, breast, and body. Board certification is what tells you that.
For plastic surgery, the board to look for is the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the one recognized for the specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Certification follows an accredited plastic surgery residency and written and oral examinations in the specialty. You can check any surgeon in a few minutes on the ABMS Certification Matters site or the ABPS surgeon search, and confirm their California licence, along with any public disciplinary record, on the Department of Consumer Affairs License Search.
Be careful with the phrase “board-certified cosmetic surgeon.” “Cosmetic surgeon” is not a protected specialty title, and it can describe a physician who trained in another field and added cosmetic procedures later. That does not make every such doctor a poor choice, but it does mean the words alone do not answer the question. Ask which board certified them, then look that board up. We set out the difference in full in plastic surgeon vs. cosmetic surgeon.
Know where your surgery will happen
The facility matters as much as the surgeon. California requires outpatient settings that use general anesthesia to be accredited, and accrediting bodies such as the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) inspect for patient safety, staff credentialing, and quality of care. Ask which body accredits the facility, whether the surgeon also holds privileges to perform the same procedure at a hospital, and who will be in the room: who provides anesthesia, and who assists.
Look for experience with your procedure
A surgeon can be excellent at one operation and only occasional at another. Ask how often they perform the specific procedure you are considering, and ask to see that procedure in their gallery, not a different one. Good before-and-after photos are of the surgeon’s own patients, taken in consistent lighting from the same angles, with more than one patient whose starting point looks like yours. Finally, ask what happens if a result needs a touch-up or revision: who decides, what it costs, and how long the policy lasts. A surgeon who has thought about revisions will have a straight answer.
Questions to ask at your consultation
Bring the same list to every consultation so you can compare answers side by side. Write the answers down; it is easy to forget details once you are home.
- Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
- Where will my surgery take place, and who accredits that facility?
- Do you hold privileges to perform this procedure at a hospital?
- How often do you perform this specific procedure?
- Can I see before-and-after photos of your own patients who had this procedure?
- Who will provide my anesthesia, and what are their qualifications?
- Who else will be in the operating room with you?
- Will you perform the entire operation yourself?
- What are the most common complications, and how are they handled?
- What happens, and what does it cost, if I need a revision?
- Who do I call after hours during my recovery?
- Is there a less invasive option that would get me most of the way?
Red flags
Any one of these is a reason to slow down and ask more questions. Two or more is a reason to keep looking.
- Pressure to book on the day, or a discount that expires before you can think it over.
- No clear answer about where the operation happens, or a facility with no accreditation.
- A board certification you cannot find in the American Board of Medical Specialties lookup.
- A consultation run entirely by a coordinator, where you never meet the surgeon who would operate.
- Galleries that look like stock photography, show only one angle, or do not say whose patient it was.
- No real consent conversation: risks, recovery time, and limits are skipped or brushed aside.
- Promises of a guaranteed result, or a plan that never mentions what the procedure cannot do.
How our practice measures up
We would rather you hold us to these criteria than take our word for anything, so here is how Mafi Plastic Surgery answers them, as one example among the Fresno practices you may be comparing.
Parham Mafi, M.D.
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Mafi Plastic Surgery
- Certification. Dr. Mafi is a board-certified plastic surgeon. His training, school by school, is set out on our about page so you can check it yourself.
- Facility. Consultations happen at the practice, and surgery is performed at Mafi Surgery Center, within the same plaza and accredited by the AAAHC. Both addresses are on our location page.
- Continuity. The surgeon who consults with you is the surgeon who operates.
- Who else you meet. The team includes Dr. Omar Chowdhry, D.O., a board-certified anesthesiologist. Injectables are placed by our nurse practitioners, Jessica Massed, FNP, and Justine Kinzel-Eckman, FNP, and facials and skin treatments are delivered by our licensed esthetician, Faith Bautista, LE.
- Results. Our before-and-after gallery shows the practice’s own patients, surgical and med spa, photographed here rather than supplied by a manufacturer.
- Everything else on the list. Ask us the same questions you ask anyone else, including how often Dr. Mafi performs your procedure and how revisions are handled. You should get a direct answer at your consultation.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a board-certified plastic surgeon?
- Any licensed physician in California can legally perform cosmetic procedures, so a medical licence alone tells you little about surgical training. Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery means the surgeon completed an accredited plastic surgery residency and passed written and oral exams in the specialty. It is the single most useful filter when you start comparing surgeons.
- What is the difference between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon?
- A board-certified plastic surgeon trained in a plastic surgery residency covering both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body. “Cosmetic surgeon” is not a protected specialty title, and it can describe a physician trained in a different field who later added cosmetic procedures. Ask any surgeon which board certified them and look that board up.
- How do I check a surgeon’s results and reputation?
- Start with the surgeon’s own before-and-after gallery, and look for consistent lighting and angles and patients who resemble you. Confirm the licence on the California Department of Consumer Affairs License Search, which also shows any public disciplinary record. Read independent reviews across more than one site rather than relying on a single platform.
- How many surgeons should I consult before choosing?
- There is no fixed number, but meeting two or three surgeons for a major procedure is common and gives you a basis for comparison. Bring the same list of questions to each one so the answers can be compared side by side. A good surgeon will not mind that you are shopping carefully.
- Is it safe for a surgeon to operate in their own surgery center?
- It can be, provided the center is accredited. California requires outpatient settings that use general anesthesia to be accredited, and bodies such as the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) inspect for patient safety, staff credentialing, and quality of care. Ask which body accredits the facility and when it was last surveyed.
Book a consultation
A consultation is where you put these questions to a surgeon in person. If you would like to start with ours, you can book a consultation with Dr. Mafi in Fresno, or browse the full list of procedures first.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Whether a procedure is right for you, and what it involves, depends on an in-person examination. Call (559) 890-6500 with questions.