Anatomy Before Volume
Motiva and Natrelle offer different dimensions and gel characteristics. Your measurements and priorities guide selection.
Breast Enhancement
Breast Implants in Austin
Choosing breast implants involves shape, feel, and movement—not just size. At Plastic Surgery of Austin, Dr. Kaimana Chow uses Motiva and Natrelle silicone implant families, matching their characteristics to your anatomy and goals during consultation in Lakeway, serving the Austin area.
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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.
Proportion & Silhouette
Profile, projection, and base width are planned in proportion to your frame for a naturally balanced result.
A Natural Feel
Placement and pocket technique are selected with softness and movement in mind.
Recovery & Support
From planning through healing, you receive attentive guidance and clear expectations.
At a Glance
Procedure Snapshot
This is breast implant placement, 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.
Its round shell is not a promise of a visibly round breast. The final contour also reflects the selected base width, profile, volume, tissue coverage, and pocket. Greater shape retention may suit some goals, but does not make Round the right choice for every patient seeking fullness or cleavage.
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.
That behavior is a design characteristic, not a guaranteed appearance on every body. Breast dimensions, tissue coverage, skin quality, desired projection, and pocket planning influence how much movement is visible. Ergonomix and Round represent different design approaches rather than a ranking of results.
Surface and gel: different parts of the design
SmoothSilk describes the controlled smooth surface; ProgressiveGel describes the gel design. The surface does not determine the final breast shape by itself, and it should not be understood to prevent capsular contracture, inflammation, or implant-associated malignancy. Softer gel and greater shape retention each involve trade-offs; neither design eliminates rupture, rippling, or future surgery.
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.
Its central principle is preservation of native anatomy while creating the space for an implant. In appropriately selected patients, this approach is intended to limit the extent of tissue dissection. It does not remove the need to assess breast dimensions, skin support, implant size, pocket position, or whether a lift or revision requires a different surgical approach.
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.
A more cohesive gel may be part of a discussion about shape support, including some revision plans, but it does not replace adequate tissue coverage or eliminate visible rippling. The available size, profile, and gel combination must be checked for the specific device selected. Natrelle and Motiva are not presented as a safety or longevity ranking.
How Dr. Chow Selects an Implant
An implant is selected as part of an anatomical plan, not as an isolated number of cubic centimeters. The consultation connects measurements with the silhouette, softness, and movement you prefer.
Breast width and chest-wall dimensions
Measurements of the breast base and chest wall help define a suitable implant footprint. Rib shape and overall proportions matter as much as the desired cup size.
Volume, projection, and profile
Volume is measured in cubic centimeters, but the same volume can have different widths and projections. Profile describes the relationship between the implant base and its forward projection. Dr. Chow considers these dimensions together rather than recommending a size online.
Upper-pole fullness, softness, and movement
The fullness above the nipple and the transition from the chest to the breast depend on gel behavior, profile, placement, and your own tissue. A preference for a fuller upper pole or a softer moving contour helps guide discussion; no implant guarantees a particular cleavage or feel.
Tissue coverage and the skin envelope
Existing breast tissue, tissue thickness, skin elasticity, and the amount of loose skin affect implant coverage and support. Thin coverage can make edges or rippling more visible. Stretching the skin beyond what it can support is not a substitute for a lift when the breast or nipple has descended.
Implant position and existing asymmetry
Placement above the muscle, beneath the fascia, or partly beneath the muscle is considered alongside tissue coverage, activity, and the surgical plan. Muscle coverage has trade-offs, including movement of the breast with muscle contraction. Differences in breast volume, nipple position, and chest-wall shape are assessed separately; implants cannot erase every asymmetry.
Living With Silicone Breast Implants
Implants are not lifetime devices. Rupture may be silent, and future imaging, revision, replacement, or removal may be needed even when the initial result is satisfactory. Follow the device labeling and your clinician’s ultrasound or MRI surveillance plan; routine breast cancer screening continues separately. Tell your mammography team that you have implants.
New swelling, a lump, persistent pain, or a change in breast shape warrants evaluation rather than waiting for a routine visit. Recovery commonly involves light activity within one to two weeks, with lifting and exercise restricted until cleared. Final settling takes longer and depends on the tissues and the operation.
Saline-filled and textured implants exist in broader implant education and may be relevant to a patient’s prior surgery. They are not presented here as the practice’s current implant portfolio.
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
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
Common 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.
Gel cohesivity influences shape retention and feel; profile describes projection relative to the implant base. Both must be considered alongside tissue coverage, breast width, and the planned pocket.
Profile is selected in proportion to your chest width and existing tissue, along with the look you have in mind. Your consultation focuses on what is appropriate and natural for your frame.
Placement depends on your anatomy, implant type, and preferences. Both approaches have considerations that Dr. Chow discusses with you during planning.
Implants are not necessarily lifetime devices, and some patients eventually consider exchange or revision. Your surgeon will discuss long-term expectations during your consultation.
Light activity often resumes within one to two weeks, with more strenuous activity returning over several weeks, depending on the patient. Clear aftercare guidance is provided throughout.
GALLERY
BEFORE AND AFTER
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