Anatomy Before Volume
Motiva and Natrelle offer different dimensions and gel characteristics. Your measurements and priorities guide selection.
Breast Enhancement
Breast Augmentation in Austin
Breast augmentation adds volume with implants or, in selected cases, fat transfer. Dr. Kaimana Chow plans around your anatomy, proportions, and goals, using Motiva and Natrelle silicone implant families at Plastic Surgery of Austin in Lakeway, serving the Austin area.
Request a ConsultationThe Short Answer
Breast augmentation uses implants to add volume and improve proportion, with implant type, size, profile, and placement planned around your frame. It enhances size and shape — when noticeable sagging is the concern, a breast lift may be needed instead of, or together with, implants.
What It Addresses
- A desire for added fullness or restored volume, often after pregnancy or weight loss
- Noticeable differences in size or shape between the breasts
- Proportion between the breasts and the rest of the frame
What It Does Not Address
- Noticeable sagging or a low nipple position — usually corrected by a lift, not an implant
- Differences in chest-wall or rib shape beneath the breast
- Skin texture changes such as stretch marks
Overview
Breast Implant Options at Plastic Surgery of Austin
Our carefully selected portfolio begins with Motiva®, followed by Natrelle®. Modern silicone implants are not interchangeable: breast dimensions, tissue characteristics, proportions, and aesthetic goals guide the choice.
Natural Proportions
The goal is harmony with your figure — enhancement that complements your shoulders, torso, and natural breast tissue.
Refined Technique
Thoughtful incision and pocket choices are tailored to your tissue, with attention to symmetry and a soft, settled appearance.
Recovery & Support
You are guided from your first visit through your final follow-up, with clear, attentive aftercare at every step.
At a Glance
Procedure Snapshot
This is breast augmentation with implants, selected to match your goals and lifestyle.
Motiva® Breast Implants
Motiva is the first implant family in our portfolio. Its SmoothSilk Round and SmoothSilk Round Ergonomix options are silicone-gel implants with a controlled smooth surface. Different gel and shell characteristics influence how each device holds its shape and responds to movement—not whether one is universally better.
In the United States, these two Motiva styles are FDA-approved for primary and revision breast augmentation in women age 22 and older. This indication does not extend to every international Motiva product or constitute blanket approval for breast reconstruction.
Motiva SmoothSilk® Round
This round silicone-gel implant uses ProgressiveGel® Plus to balance softness with shape retention. Compared with Ergonomix, it is more shape-stable, with less gel movement, and may be considered when greater structural fullness and maintained upper-pole volume are priorities.
Profile and volume still need to fit the breast dimensions and tissue support; fullness alone does not determine suitability.
Motiva SmoothSilk® Round Ergonomix®
Ergonomix also has a round shell—not a fixed teardrop or anatomic shape. Its softer ProgressiveGel® Ultima and one fewer shell layer than Round allow greater gravity-driven gel movement, as described in the FDA physician labeling.
The gel can redistribute into a rounder contour while reclining and a more dependent contour while upright. This design aims to approximate the softness and movement of breast tissue and may appeal to patients prioritizing a softer, more dynamic silhouette.
Selection still depends on breast dimensions, tissue coverage, skin quality, desired projection, and the surgical plan.
Motiva Preservé™: A Tissue-Preserving Approach to the Implant Pocket
Preservé is a Motiva-developed breast augmentation procedure/platform, not an implant model. Any augmentation requires an implant pocket. Preservé uses specialized instruments—the Channel Separator and Inflatable Balloon—for controlled tissue separation and expansion, with the intent of reducing unnecessary disruption of native tissue and supportive structures compared with conventional dissection.
At Plastic Surgery of Austin, Dr. Kaimana Chow is among a limited group of board-certified plastic surgeons in Austin and Texas selected and approved by Motiva/Establishment Labs to offer Preservé. Candidacy remains individualized. International materials may discuss Ergonomix2®, which is not FDA-approved in the United States and is distinct from the U.S. Round Ergonomix implant.
Tissue-preserving intent does not mean scarless or risk-free surgery. Incisions, anesthesia planning, recovery restrictions, and risks such as bleeding, infection, sensory changes, capsular contracture, or implant malposition still require individualized discussion.
Natrelle® Breast Implants
Natrelle is the second silicone implant family used at Plastic Surgery of Austin. Its range of dimensions, profiles, and gel characteristics provides another way to match the device to your anatomy and aesthetic priorities, rather than fitting every patient to one implant style.
Smooth, round Natrelle INSPIRA® implants include Responsive, SoftTouch, and Cohesive gel options, with increasing gel cohesivity across that range. Profiles include low, low-plus, moderate, full, and extra-full. Gel cohesivity affects shape retention and feel; profile and base width affect how that volume projects from the chest.
How Dr. Chow Selects an Implant
Selection considers chest-wall dimensions, breast width, existing breast tissue and coverage, skin-envelope characteristics, desired projection and upper-pole fullness, softness and movement, implant profile and volume, implant position, existing asymmetry, and overall proportionality. Dr. Chow weighs these together; an online size recommendation cannot replace examination.
Explore Motiva options, Natrelle profiles, and implant selection in depthAugmentation or a Breast Lift?
Augmentation and a lift solve different problems, and the two are sometimes confused. Implants add volume and fullness; a lift raises and reshapes breast tissue that has dropped in position, most often after pregnancy, weight change, or with age. Many women considering augmentation are actually looking for a lift, or need both together for a balanced result. Which applies to you is a straightforward assessment at consultation, based on nipple position and skin elasticity rather than guesswork.
Learn more about breast lift in AustinFat Transfer and Surgical Planning
For selected patients seeking a subtler change, fat transfer uses liposuction to collect fat that is processed and injected into the breast. Some transferred fat is absorbed, and additional treatment may be needed. It can also complement implants, but it does not replace a lift when position is the main concern.
Implant surgery requires an incision and a pocket. Incision location and placement above or partly beneath the muscle are individualized to the implant, tissues, and goals; these decisions are distinct from the brand selected.
Long-Term Implant Follow-Up
Silicone implant rupture may be silent. Follow the selected device’s labeling and your clinician’s ultrasound or MRI surveillance plan, in addition to routine breast cancer screening. Report new swelling, a lump, persistent pain, or a change in breast shape promptly.
Breast Augmentation Within a Mommy Makeover
Restoring or increasing breast volume can be one component of a broader breast-and-body plan. Dr. Chow — “The Mommy Makeover Surgeon” — considers implant size and breast shape in relation to abdominal contour, waist definition, and your overall proportions. For significant breast descent, a lift or augmentation combined with a lift addresses position as well as fullness.
Explore comprehensive Mommy Makeover surgeryFor changes in breast position, explore breast lift surgery.
Considerations
Who This Procedure May Be For
- A desire for added volume and balanced proportions
- Interest in Motiva or Natrelle silicone implant options
- Changes in fullness after pregnancy or weight loss
- Willingness to plan for long-term implant follow-up
When to Wait or Consider Alternatives
- During pregnancy or breastfeeding — surgery is planned after these conclude and the breasts have stabilized.
- When sagging is the primary concern, a breast lift — alone or with implants — is usually the more appropriate plan.
- While weight is actively changing — a stable weight makes sizing decisions more reliable.
- When health findings need evaluation first; routine breast screening continues as recommended for your age.
Planning
Decisions Made at Your Consultation
- Motiva and Natrelle silicone implants: gel behavior, profile, and fit for your frame
- Sizing in proportion to your chest width and existing tissue — not by cup size alone
- Implant placement above or beneath the muscle
- Incision options, selected around your anatomy and preferences
- The long-term view: implants are not lifetime devices, and future maintenance is discussed openly
Healing
Recovery, Step by Step
First days
Most patients are up and walking the same day, wearing a support garment as directed. Soreness and tightness across the chest are expected early and are managed with the plan reviewed before surgery.
First weeks
Most resume light activity within a week or two, depending on the patient. Upper-body exercise and lifting wait until cleared, and follow-up visits track healing.
Months ahead
Implants settle into position gradually as swelling resolves and tissue relaxes, so the final shape is judged over weeks to months rather than days.
Scars and How They Mature
Incisions are planned around your anatomy, implant choice, and preferences, and are placed where they can be concealed. They typically mature from pink to fine, pale lines over many months; the specific approach for you is reviewed at consultation.
When Results Appear and How Long They Last
When results appear: The volume change is visible immediately; the final shape settles over weeks to months as swelling resolves and the implants settle.
How long they may last: Implants are long-lasting but not lifetime devices; many patients eventually choose exchange or removal, and periodic follow-up is part of ownership.
Risks and Limitations
Choosing a device does not eliminate the risks of breast augmentation. Review the patient labeling and decision checklist for the selected implant with your surgeon.
- Bleeding, infection, anesthesia complications, scarring, and changes in breast or nipple sensation
- Capsular contracture, rupture, rippling, malposition, and persistent or new asymmetry
- Possible additional operations; implants are not lifetime devices
- Systemic symptoms have been reported by some patients; causes and individual risk remain incompletely understood
- Rare implant-associated cancers, including BIA-ALCL (more often associated with textured implants), and reports of cancers in the surrounding capsule; smooth implants should not be described as risk-free
Cost and Financing
Breast augmentation pricing reflects the specific plan built at your consultation, so quotes are written and personalized rather than posted as a single number.
What Shapes Your Quote
- Implant type and manufacturer
- Whether a lift or another procedure is combined
- Surgeon, anesthesia, and facility fees
- Post-surgical garments and follow-up care
Financing for qualified patients is available through partners such as CareCredit, PatientFi, and Cherry.
Read our full guide to breast augmentation cost in AustinExplore financing optionsYour Surgeon
Why Patients Choose Dr. Chow
Dr. Kaimana Chow is a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon, board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, whose practice is devoted to cosmetic surgery. He completed his general surgery residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and his augmentation planning is measurement-led — implant dimensions are chosen in proportion to your chest width and existing tissue, so the result reads as balance rather than volume alone.
Meet Dr. Kaimana ChowCommon Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The practice uses Motiva and Natrelle silicone implant families. Selection is individualized to breast dimensions, tissue coverage, skin support, and your goals rather than brand name or volume alone.
No. SmoothSilk Round Ergonomix has a round shell. Its softer gel moves more with gravity, allowing a rounder contour while reclining and a more dependent contour upright. It is not a fixed anatomic implant.
No. Preservé is a manufacturer-developed procedure/platform for tissue-preserving pocket creation. Dr. Chow has been selected and approved by Motiva/Establishment Labs to offer it; suitability is assessed individually. Ergonomix2, discussed in international materials, is not FDA-approved in the United States.
Neither is universally better. Round generally holds its shape more, while Ergonomix has softer gel and greater movement with position. Your anatomy and aesthetic priorities guide the choice.
No. Augmentation adds volume with an implant, while a lift repositions breast tissue that has dropped, without necessarily adding size. Some patients benefit from combining both. Dr. Chow reviews which applies to you — or whether you need both — at your consultation.
Size is planned in proportion to your frame, chest width, and existing tissue rather than by a single number. Your consultation focuses on the silhouette you have in mind and what is appropriate for your body.
Implants are not lifetime devices. Many last for years without issue, but rupture, capsular contracture, or a simple change in preference can eventually call for replacement or removal. Dr. Chow discusses this long-term view with you as part of consultation planning.
Incision options are selected based on your anatomy, implant choice, and preferences. The approach is discussed in detail during your private consultation in Austin.
Most people resume light activity within a week or two and return to more vigorous activity over several weeks, depending on the patient. You will receive clear aftercare instructions and attentive follow-up.
The quote depends on implant type and manufacturer, whether a lift is combined, and anesthesia and facility fees. After your consultation you receive a written quote for your specific plan, and financing is available for qualified patients through CareCredit, PatientFi, and Cherry.
GALLERY
BEFORE AND AFTER
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