Breast Augmentation

No. The Motiva Preservé™ procedure is performed entirely under local anesthesia or with light sedation. You are awake, comfortable, and pain-free throughout the procedure. There is no general anesthesia, and no breathing tube. Because there is no general anesthesia, there is no groggy or disoriented feeling afterward — you walk out of the clinic and drive home the same day. For patients who are uncomfortable with general anesthesia due to personal preference, medical history, or simply wanting to avoid the risks and recovery associated with being “put under,” this is one of the most meaningful advantages of the Preservé™ approach.

You will feel a brief pinch when the local anesthetic is administered, similar to what you would feel at a dentist’s office. Once the area is fully numb, you should not feel pain during the procedure. Most patients report feeling pressure and movement but no sharp or significant discomfort. The entire procedure takes approximately 30 minutes. Dr. Chike-Obi and his team will monitor your comfort throughout and can adjust the anesthesia as needed.

Downtime is minimal compared to conventional breast augmentation. Most patients return to work and light daily activities the next day. Because the Preservé™ technique uses a tissue-preserving approach — gently separating tissue rather than cutting through it — swelling and bruising are significantly reduced compared to traditional augmentation. Discomfort is typically managed with over-the-counter pain medication. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting should be avoided for a period of time as directed by Dr. Chike-Obi during your consultation. Every patient heals differently, but the recovery trajectory is substantially faster than conventional augmentation under general anesthesia.

Conventional breast augmentation under general anesthesia typically involves several days of limited activity and several weeks before returning to full exercise. The Preservé™ technique compresses that recovery timeline significantly because it avoids blunt dissection of the breast tissue. The Motiva® Channel Separator creates the implant pocket by gently separating tissue planes rather than cutting through muscle and tissue, which means less trauma, less swelling, less bruising, and less post-operative pain. The difference is not subtle — it is the primary reason this technique exists.

Changes in nipple sensation are one of the most common concerns with any breast augmentation. With conventional augmentation, temporary or permanent changes in nipple sensation can occur because the surgical dissection may stretch or disrupt the sensory nerves that supply the nipple and areola. The Preservé™ technique is specifically designed to minimize this risk. Because the Channel Separator creates the breast pocket by gently parting tissue rather than cutting through it, the sensory nerve pathways that run through the breast are more likely to be preserved. No procedure can guarantee zero risk to sensation, but the tissue-preserving approach of Preservé™ is engineered to reduce that risk relative to conventional techniques.

The ability to breastfeed after any breast augmentation depends on whether the milk ducts, glandular tissue, and the nerves that signal milk production remain intact. Conventional augmentation techniques that involve significant dissection through breast tissue carry some risk of disrupting these structures. The Preservé™ technique is designed to work with your existing breast anatomy rather than through it — the tissue-preserving approach avoids cutting through glandular tissue and ductal pathways. While no implant-based procedure can offer an absolute guarantee regarding future breastfeeding, the preservation-focused design of this technique is intended to maintain the integrity of the structures that breastfeeding depends on. If future breastfeeding is a priority for you, this is an important topic to discuss in detail during your consultation with Dr. Chike-Obi.

The Preservé™ procedure uses the Motiva Ergonomix™ implant, which is designed to move and feel like natural breast tissue. The implant is placed using a no-touch insertion technique, meaning the implant surface is not exposed to the external environment during placement. This reduces the risk of contamination and is consistent with the highest standards of implant safety.

The procedure typically takes approximately 30 minutes from start to finish. Including preparation and post-procedure observation, most patients are at the clinic for roughly one to two hours total.

The Preservé™ procedure is best suited for patients who desire a natural-looking enhancement that complements their existing frame, rather than a dramatic change in volume. It is also well-suited for patients who want to avoid general anesthesia, cannot accommodate a multi-week recovery, or place a high priority on preserving their natural breast tissue. Not every patient is a candidate — factors including your anatomy, your aesthetic goals, and your implant size preferences will determine whether Preservé™ or conventional augmentation is the better path. Dr. Chike-Obi will evaluate both options with you during your consultation and recommend the approach that best serves your goals.

Motiva implants received FDA approval for use in the United States. The Preservé™ technique itself is a specialized surgical method for placing these implants using local anesthesia and tissue-preserving instrumentation. Dr. Chike-Obi completed advanced training directly with the developers of the Preservé™ method before offering it at 360 Plastic Surgery.