Motiva Preservé Breast Augmentation
Pearl Plastic Surgery’s Dr. Christopher Nichols is a recognized Preservé Surgeon Trainer.
A tissue-preserving approach to breast augmentation designed for natural-looking enhancement, smaller incisions, and a recovery-oriented surgical plan for select patients.
Motiva Preservé is a modern approach to breast augmentation designed for patients who want a refined, natural-looking result with a less invasive technique. At Pearl Plastic Surgery, breast enhancement is always planned around your anatomy, your goals, and the details that matter most to you, including implant feel, implant position, incision planning, recovery, and long-term aesthetic balance.
Preservé Surgeon Trainer
Advanced experience with the Preservé technique
Dr. Christopher Nichols has been recognized by Motiva® by Establishment Labs as a Preservé Surgeon Trainer, reflecting his expertise in the Preservé minimally invasive breast augmentation technique and his commitment to educating and mentoring fellow surgeons.
For patients considering Preservé, this means your surgical plan is guided by a surgeon with advanced experience not only performing the technique, but also teaching it to other surgeons.
The certificate itself explicitly recognizes Dr. Nichols’ expertise with Preservé and his role in surgeon education and mentorship.
Learn About Motiva Preservé
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Preservé is a tissue-preserving breast augmentation technique developed for use with Motiva breast implants.
During the procedure, the surgeon creates a small incision within the natural fold beneath the breast. Specialized Preservé instruments are then used to create an access channel and gently expand a precisely measured implant pocket.
This approach is designed to move the breast tissues aside rather than extensively cutting through them. The pectoralis major muscle is not cut as part of the Preservé technique.
The implant is then placed using a controlled, no-touch insertion process.
Preservé is still a surgical procedure. Although it is designed to be less invasive than a traditional breast augmentation, it requires careful patient selection, an experienced surgeon, appropriate anesthesia, and a complete postoperative recovery plan.
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Traditional breast augmentation commonly involves surgically dissecting a pocket beneath the breast tissue or chest muscle. This provides considerable flexibility but may require more disruption of the tissues used to create the implant space.
Preservé takes a different approach:
A smaller access incision may be possible.
Specialized instruments gently expand the implant pocket.
The pectoralis major muscle is preserved.
Natural breast support structures are disrupted as little as reasonably possible.
The pocket is planned around the dimensions of the selected implant.
The implant is inserted through a controlled no-touch technique.
These differences may support a more comfortable or efficient recovery for some patients. However, individual healing experiences vary, and no specific recovery time can be guaranteed
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For a properly selected patient, potential advantages may include:
Less disruption of the natural breast tissues
Preservation of the chest muscle
A smaller incision than may be required for some traditional techniques
A carefully measured implant pocket
Natural-looking breast movement and softness
A recovery-oriented surgical approach
No muscle animation deformity from submuscular implant placement
The possibility of combining implants with fat grafting in selected patients
Preservé is designed to preserve breast and nipple sensation, but no breast operation can guarantee that sensation will remain unchanged. Temporary or permanent sensory changes remain possible.
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Motiva Preservé is most commonly considered for women seeking their first breast augmentation who want a proportionate, natural-looking increase in breast volume.
You may be a candidate if you:
Are at least 22 years old
Are in good general health
Are not pregnant or nursing
Want to increase breast volume or improve mild asymmetry
Prefer a soft, natural-looking result
Have sufficient healthy breast tissue and skin support
Do not require extensive correction of breast sagging
Understand the benefits, limitations, and risks of breast implants
Have realistic expectations for your outcome
Your candidacy cannot be determined from photographs, height, weight, or bra size alone. An in-person examination is necessary to assess the amount of breast tissue present, nipple position, skin elasticity, chest-wall anatomy, and the dimensions of the implant that your tissues can safely support.
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Preservé is not automatically the best choice simply because it is a newer technique.
A traditional breast augmentation, breast lift, fat grafting procedure, or combination approach may be more appropriate if you have:
Significant breast drooping
Substantial excess or stretched skin
Very thin breast tissues
Complex breast or chest-wall asymmetry
Tubular or constricted breast anatomy
A desire for an implant outside the dimensions your tissues can safely support
Previous breast implants or breast surgery
A need for substantial nipple repositioning
An active infection
Untreated breast cancer or a precancerous breast condition
A current pregnancy or are nursing
Patients with previous implants generally require a breast revision evaluation rather than a primary Preservé procedure.
Our recommendation will be based on the procedure most likely to produce a safe, stable, and aesthetically balanced result—not simply on the newest available technology.
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At Pearl Plastic Surgery, Preservé may be performed using Motiva SmoothSilk Ergonomix® silicone gel breast implants when their characteristics and dimensions are appropriate for the patient.
Ergonomix implants are designed to respond to changes in body position. They tend to appear rounder when the patient is lying down and develop a more tapered profile when standing.
Implant selection is based on more than volume. During your consultation, we consider:
Breast and chest width
Existing breast-tissue thickness
Skin elasticity
Implant base diameter
Projection
Profile
Desired upper-breast fullness
Desired overall breast shape
Lifestyle and physical activity
The amount of enlargement your tissues can safely accommodate
The objective is not to choose the largest implant that can be inserted. It is to select an implant that works with your anatomy and supports an attractive, durable result.
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For selected patients, a small amount of fat grafting may be added to breast augmentation to soften implant edges, improve cleavage, address minor asymmetry, or refine the transition between the chest and breast.
Dr. Nichols has extensive experience in breast surgery and fat grafting. When fat grafting would meaningfully improve the result, he can discuss whether a hybrid breast augmentation is appropriate.
Fat grafting is not necessary for every patient, and it should not be added unless it provides a clear benefit.
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Your procedure begins with markings and a final review of the surgical plan. At Pearl Plastic Surgery, breast augmentation is performed in our on-site ambulatory surgery center with anesthesia administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist.
A small incision is generally placed within the inframammary fold beneath the breast. The surgeon then uses specialized Preservé instruments to create an access channel and gradually expand a pocket matched to the selected implant.
After the pocket has been evaluated, the implant is inserted using a controlled no-touch technique. The incision is then carefully closed and supported with postoperative dressings.
Specific details may differ depending on your anatomy and whether the procedure includes fat grafting, correction of asymmetry, or another breast procedure.
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Many patients are interested in Preservé because it is designed to reduce tissue disruption. Some patients may experience an easier early recovery than they would after a traditional submuscular breast augmentation, but recovery remains individual.
You should expect some combination of:
Breast tightness or pressure
Swelling
Bruising
Temporary changes in sensation
Incision tenderness
A high or firm initial implant position
The breasts gradually soften and settle as swelling resolves and the tissues adapt to the implants.
Light walking is encouraged after surgery. Driving, work, lifting, upper-body activity, and exercise must be resumed according to your surgeon’s instructions. Returning to strenuous activity too quickly can increase the risk of bleeding, swelling, wound problems, or implant displacement.
You will receive written postoperative instructions and scheduled follow-up appointments so we can monitor your healing.
Scars
Preservé is designed to allow implant placement through a relatively small incision in the fold beneath the breast. The exact incision length depends on the implant, anatomy, tissue flexibility, and the requirements of safe placement.
All surgical incisions leave a permanent scar. Most inframammary scars fade and become less noticeable over time, but scar appearance varies between patients.
We prioritize careful incision placement and closure rather than promising a specific incision length.
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Every breast augmentation involves risks. These may include:
Bleeding or hematoma
Infection
Delayed healing
Unfavorable scarring
Changes in nipple or breast sensation
Breast or implant asymmetry
Implant malposition
Rippling or implant visibility
Capsular contracture
Implant rupture
Pain
The need for additional surgery
Anesthesia-related complications
Rare implant-associated cancers or other implant-related conditions
Breast implants are not lifetime devices. Future imaging, implant removal, replacement, revision surgery, or other treatment may eventually be required.
Some patients with breast implants have also reported systemic symptoms such as fatigue, joint or muscle pain, cognitive concerns, or other symptoms sometimes referred to as breast implant illness. The individual risk and cause of these symptoms are not fully established.
Before surgery, you will receive the required implant information and patient decision checklist. Your surgeon will review the risks, alternatives, imaging recommendations, and long-term follow-up requirements with you.
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Is Motiva Preservé FDA-approved?
Motiva SmoothSilk Round and SmoothSilk Ergonomix silicone gel breast implants are FDA-approved for breast augmentation in women age 22 and older.
Preservé is a specialized surgical technique used to place the implant. It should not be described as a separate FDA-approved implant.
Is Preservé performed above or below the muscle?
Preservé is designed to avoid cutting or disrupting the pectoralis major muscle. The precise position of the implant and its relationship to your breast tissues will be reviewed during your consultation.
Will I keep normal nipple sensation?
The technique is designed to preserve the breast’s natural tissues and sensation. However, temporary or permanent sensation changes can occur after any breast surgery and cannot be ruled out or guaranteed against.
Is Preservé less painful?
Preserving the chest muscle and reducing tissue disruption may make the early recovery more comfortable for some patients. Pain and recovery vary, and no individual experience can be guaranteed.
How soon can I return to work?
Return-to-work timing depends on your occupation, procedure, healing response, and whether additional procedures were performed. Patients with physically demanding jobs generally require more time than those doing non-strenuous work.
Your surgical team will provide individualized activity restrictions.
Can Preservé correct drooping breasts?
An implant can restore volume but does not reliably correct significant skin laxity or a low nipple position. A breast lift may be required when sagging is a primary concern.
Can I choose any implant size?
No. Safe implant selection is limited by the width of your chest, existing breast tissue, skin elasticity, and the amount of volume your tissues can reasonably support.
Your preferences are important, but the final recommendation must also respect your anatomy.
How long do Motiva implants last?
Breast implants are not lifetime devices, and there is no guaranteed replacement date. Some patients keep their implants for many years without difficulty, while others require earlier surgery because of a complication or a desired change in size or appearance.
How much does Motiva Preservé cost?
The total cost depends on the selected implant, surgical plan, anesthesia, facility requirements, and whether another procedure such as fat grafting or a breast lift is included.
Our patient care coordinator can provide current pricing information and explain available payment options.
Dr. Nichols’ Motiva Preservé Patient Results
Motiva SmoothSilk Ergonomix® Demi — 265 cc
This patient is shown three weeks after Motiva Preservé breast augmentation performed by Dr. Christopher Nichols. Early postoperative swelling and implant position will continue to change as healing progresses.
The best breast augmentation technique is the one that fits your anatomy, priorities, and long-term goals.
During your consultation at Pearl Plastic Surgery, we will evaluate your breast tissues, discuss the appearance you hope to achieve, review implant options, and determine whether Motiva Preservé or another approach is most appropriate.
A Patient’s Motiva Preservé Experience
“I had Preserve with Dr. Nichols at Pearl Plastic Surgery, and I’m really happy with my results. I wanted something natural that fit my body and didn’t look obvious or overdone, and that’s exactly how it turned out.
Dr. Nichols really listened to what I wanted and helped me choose a size that made sense for my frame. He was honest and straightforward, which made me feel comfortable with the decision.
The staff was also amazing from start to finish. Everyone was kind, helpful, and made the whole process feel much less stressful. I always felt like I knew what to expect, and they were easy to reach when I had questions.
My results still look like me, just more balanced and confident. I’m so glad I finally decided to do it and would absolutely recommend Dr. Nichols and the team at Pearl.”
