Preservé is an advanced breast augmentation technique that works with your anatomy rather than around it. It utilizes local anesthesia with sedation, a smaller incision, and offers a recovery time measured in days rather than weeks.
A New Kind of Augmentation, Built Around Your Anatomy
At Colorado Plastic Surgery Center, we believe the best results don't announce themselves. They simply look like you, only more so. That's the philosophy behind Preservé, and it's why we sought out hands-on training with the Motiva clinical team that developed this technique. Dr. Nick Slenkovich and Dr. Laura Roider are among a small number of surgeons in the Denver region offering Preservé because the science is sound, the recovery is genuinely faster, and the results speak for themselves.
What Is Preservé Breast Augmentation?
Preservé breast augmentation is a minimally invasive technique developed by Motiva that places the implant above the muscle while preserving key breast tissues and support structures. The approach is designed to reduce disruption, supporting a more natural feel, smoother recovery, and long-term, natural-looking results.
Instead of traditional placement planes, the implant is positioned in the intra-laminar space while preserving the circumammary ligament, which helps maintain the natural breast boundary and support. When this is done correctly, the breast tissue gently conforms around the implant, creating a more integrated, natural shape.
Because there is no muscle cutting and less overall tissue trauma, patients typically experience less pain, less swelling, and a faster recovery. It’s often paired with Motiva Ergonomix implants, which move naturally with the body to help enhance a soft, realistic result.
What to Expect from Preservé Breast Augmentation
The Preservé process begins with a highly detailed consultation, which is the most important step in planning your procedure. Because this technique does not use intraoperative sizers, all sizing and placement decisions are finalized before surgery. During your visit, Dr. Slenkovich or Dr. Roider will take precise breast measurements, evaluate tissue quality and volume distribution across the breasts, and use 3D imaging to preview how different implant options will look on your frame. By the end of the consultation, your surgical plan is fully established and clearly understood.
On the day of surgery, Preservé is performed under local anesthesia with light sedation and typically takes about 45–60 minutes. A small incision is made in the natural breast crease, and a specialized channel separator is used to create the implant pocket along the planned vector while preserving the circumammary ligament. A tissue-expander balloon is then used briefly to prepare the space and assess tissue response before implant placement. The Motiva Ergonomix implant is inserted using a no-touch technique, the nesting effect is confirmed, and the incision is closed. Patients return home the same day.
Recovery is generally faster and more comfortable than traditional augmentation. Most patients experience mild soreness for the first few days, without the muscle tightness or spasms associated with submuscular surgery. Light daily activity and work can often be resumed the next day, light exercise in about two weeks, and full activity around four weeks. Early results appear by six weeks, with final refinement developing over approximately six months as the breast tissue fully adapts and the nesting effect settles in.
Elevated Training and Expertise in Denver
Not every surgeon offering breast augmentation is trained in Preservé. Dr. Slenkovich and Dr. Roider both completed hands-on training directly with the Motiva clinical team that developed the technique. That training is the foundation for how we offer this procedure, and it's why we are one of the few practices in the Denver area in a position to do so.
Preservé FAQs
Is Preservé the same as "over the muscle" or "above the muscle" augmentation?
No. Standard above-the-muscle placements (subglandular or subfascial) create a pocket behind the breast tissue but do not preserve the circumammary ligament or place the implant in the intralaminar space. In a traditional above-the-muscle augmentation, the implant sits behind the breast, and the breast drapes over it. In Preservé, the implant integrates into the breast tissue and is held by the ligament. The anatomical difference is significant.
What is the "nesting effect"?
When the circumammary ligament is preserved, and the implant occupies the intralaminar space, the surrounding breast tissue conforms around it and contributes to the final shape. In patients with adequate tissue, this effect contributes roughly 25% additional perceived volume beyond the implant alone and allows the implant to move with the breast naturally, rather than independently.
How is implant size chosen if there are no intraoperative sizers?
Through detailed pre-operative measurements, tissue quality assessment, four-quadrant volume distribution analysis, and 3D imaging. The implant base width, profile, and positioning vector are finalized before surgery. The base width is matched to the ligament boundary; the profile is selected based on your anatomy and aesthetic goals.
Can Preservé be performed under local anesthesia?
Yes, and for many patients, this is one of its most appealing features. Because the pectoral muscle is not involved, local anesthesia with light sedation is a viable option. We discuss anesthesia preferences during your consultation.
Will I need a lift with Preservé?
It depends on your anatomy. Patients with mild pseudoptosis, where the nipple sits at or just above the fold, can often achieve a beautiful result with Preservé alone, as superior-medial implant positioning can recruit upper-pole volume and soften mild laxity. More significant drooping requires a mastopexy, which can be combined with augmentation in select cases. We assess this carefully at your consultation.
How long has this technique been available?
Preservé has been performed internationally for several years, supported by cadaveric dissection data. In the United States, it became available following Motiva's FDA clearance. Our surgeons were trained directly with the clinical team that developed it, so our experience with the technique reflects both the science behind it and hands-on clinical training.
What implants are used with Preservé?
Preservé uses Motiva Ergonomix implants exclusively. These implants feature SmoothSilk® surface technology, designed to reduce inflammation and capsular contracture risk, and respond to gravity and body position in a way that closely mimics natural tissue movement. Their flexibility also allows deployment through a smaller incision than a conventional implant would require.
*Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Outcomes, risks, and suitability vary from patient to patient.
