Breast augmentation continues to evolve as new technologies emerge, giving patients more choices than ever before. Along with the ever-growing trend of ballerina breast augmentation, one of newest innovations in breast enhancement is now available in the United States: Motiva® breast implants.
Motiva implants are designed for patients seeking a soft, natural look and feel, especially those who lead active lifestyles or have limited natural breast tissue. Motiva features a number of new and exciting features that enhance both results and patient safety.
If you are considering breast augmentation, read on to learn more about Motiva implants, how they compare to other popular brands like Allergan and Mentor, and why plastic surgeons are increasingly choosing Motiva as a next-generation implant option.
What Are Motiva Breast Implants?
Motiva represents a new generation of breast implant technology in the United States. With natural feel, dynamic movement, advanced safety design, and customizable profiles, these implants offer an appealing option for many patients seeking modern, natural-looking augmentation.
Motiva implants are manufactured by Establishment Labs, a company focused on implant safety, biocompatibility, and long-term performance.
While Motiva is new to the United States, they have been used in in over 80 countries for many years. The safety and efficacy of Motiva breast implants is supported by more than a decade of global data. The Motiva line recently received FDA approval after undergoing multi-year clinical trials, ongoing safety monitoring, and long-term follow-up.
Types of Motiva Implants
Motiva offers two differentiated breast implant products:
Motiva Round
Motiva Round implants offer a fuller, more lifted appearance with noticeable upper-pole volume. Key benefits of Motiva Round include a rounded silhouette that maintains fullness whether sitting, standing, or lying down. This line of implants is ideal for patients wanting a more augmented look or enhanced upper-pole shape. Motiva Round utilizes a special soft and elastic gel that is more natural in movement and feel compared to traditional round implants.
Motiva Ergonomix®
Motiva Ergonomix are an exciting innovation that is designed to mimic the behavior of natural breast tissue. When upright, gravity shapes the implant into a gentle teardrop. When reclined, the implant redistributes like natural breast tissue. This adaptive behavior supports natural cleavage, a soft upper pole, and a graceful side profile. The Ergonomix line is ideal for patients wanting subtle, natural-looking enhancement and movement that mirrors natural breast tissue. It’s also a great option for patients with little current breast tissue who still desire above the muscle implant placement.
Unique Projection Offering
Both types of Motiva implants offer advanced anatomical projection profiles: Mini, Demi, Full, and Corsé. On the low end of projection, Mini provides subtle projection for wider chests. The offering with the most projection is Corsé, which creates maximum fullness for those seeking a more dramatic look.
Implant profiles help surgeons fine-tune projection and shape based on each patient’s chest width and tissue characteristics for a more balanced, harmonious results.
Unique Features of Motiva Breast Implants
Motiva implants incorporate several proprietary technologies that set them apart from traditional options.
ProgressiveGel®
Instead of traditional silicone or saline, Motiva implants are made of ProgressiveGel, a unique formulation that gel that provides natural softness and fluidity. ProgressiveGel responds dynamically to movement and gravity, allowing both fuller, structured results (provided by ProgressiveGel in Motiva Round implants) or natural-shifting behavior (provided by ProgressiveGel PLUS in Motiva Ergonomix implants). Patients often describe this gel as exceptionally soft and natural-feeling.
SmoothSilk®
Motiva’s SmoothSilk technology offers a differentiated outer shell of the implant compared to traditional smooth or textured options. Created using 3D nanotechnology, these dynamic surfaces are designed to reduce friction and minimize the inflammation that can occur after implantation and lead to capsular contracture. Patients should know that neither SmoothSilk is not textured, thus Motiva implants avoid risks historically associated with textured implants.
BluSeal® Safety Barrier
Motiva’s BluSeal feature is a thin blue barrier inside the implant shell that allows surgeons to visually confirm shell integrity before implantation. This added safety measure ensures proper gel containment and provides extra reassurance.
TrueMonobloc® Design
The TrueMonobloc structure ensures the implant shell and gel move as a cohesive unit. This design enhances durability, makes the implant more resistant to mechanical stress, and allows insertion through smaller incisions.
Q Inside Safety Technology™
Q Inside is an optional microtransponder within the implant that allows surgeons to scan the implant for accurate device information. It supports long-term tracking, simplified identification during future procedures, and greater transparency for patients.
Natural Results
Motiva implants are frequently described as exceptionally soft. ProgressiveGel technology and SmoothSilk/SilkSurface allow the implant to feel more natural under the skin. Many patients feel that Ergonomix implants closely resemble natural breast tissue in softness and movement.
Motiva implants are especially popular for individuals with minimal natural breast tissue or lean, athletic builds. Their soft gel and refined surface often create softer implant edges, reduce visible rippling, and provide a smooth upper-pole contour even in thin patients.
Advanced Safety Features of Motiva
Along with offering more natural results compared to traditional implants, the Motiva line features several safety innovations that reduce risks and unwanted side effects:
Lower Rupture Rates
Motiva implants use a highly elastic yet durable outer shell. The TrueMonobloc design minimizes internal friction and enhances resistance to rupture, even under great stress¹.
Reduced Capsular Contracture
SmoothSilk and SilkSurface technologies have been shown to reduce the body’s inflammatory response². This can lead to lower rates of capsular contracture, one of the most common complications of breast augmentation. One verified study puts the rate of capsular contracture with Motiva implants at capsular contracture at only 0.54%³.
Lower BIA-ALCL Risk
BIA-ALCL is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a T-cell lymphoma) that develops in the immune system. Specifically, it arises in the scar tissue (“capsule”) and/or fluid that the body forms around a breast implant. The risk of BIA-ALCL development is strongly linked to textured breast implants⁴. Motiva implants are non-textured, eliminating the surface type historically associated with BIA-ALCL. To date, there have been no reported cases of BIA-ALCL linked specifically to Motiva implants⁵.
Reduced Rippling
Motiva’s cohesive yet elastic gel reduces visible rippling, especially in patients with reduced natural occurring breast tissue. The gel distributes more evenly, supporting the upper pole and preventing hollowness or unnatural folding.
Less Invasive Implant Options with Motiva
The unique design and natural traits of Motiva implants allow for less invasive breast augmentation procedures:
Placement Above the Muscle
Motiva’s innovative soft gel composition and biocompatible surface allow for subglandular or subfascial placement in more patients, even those with limited naturally occurring breast tissue. The Ergonomix line allows for above the muscle placement as it more closely mimics natural breast tissue compared to traditional implants. Benefits of subglandular placement include less discomfort, shorter surgery time, and faster recovery.
Smaller Incisions
The flexibility of the TrueMonobloc structure allows for the placement of larger implants with smaller incisions. Depending on surgeon preference and anatomy, incisions may be placed in the inframammary fold, around the areola, or in the armpit. This allows many patients to achieve their desired results with less and more discreet scarring.
Shorter Recovery
Since Motiva implants reduce the need for muscle dissection or more intensive incisions, patients often enjoy a shorter breast augmentation recovery: experiencing less discomfort or swelling, and quicker return to normal activities.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Motiva?
Motiva may be ideal for patients who want soft, natural-feeling results, natural movement, minimal scarring, or advanced safety features. They are also well-suited to petite patients, athletes, and those with limited natural breast tissue. Surgeons also consider chest width, skin elasticity, and whether the patient is undergoing revision surgery.
Are Motiva Breast Implants Right For You?
A consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the best way to determine whether Motiva is right for your goals. During your in-office consultation, our team will evaluate your anatomy, discuss sizing, and shape preferences, and recommend the implant that best matches your aesthetic vision.
Resources
- Motiva. (n.d.). Motiva® Implants Overview. Retrieved from https://motiva.health/surgeons-implant-overview/
- Motiva. (2021, December 13). Biocompatibility and Safety: The real science behind the Motiva® advanced SmoothSilk® surface. Retrieved from https://motiva.health/patient/blog/biocompatibility-and-safety-the-real-science-behind-the-motiva-advanced-smoothsilk-surface/
- Glicksman, C., Wolfe, A., McGuire, P., et al. (2024). The Study of the Safety and Effectiveness of Motiva SmoothSilk Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants in Patients Undergoing Primary and Revisional Breast Augmentation: Three-Year Clinical Data. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 44(5). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384408145
- McKernan, C. (2021). A Review of Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). JAAPA. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9472752/
- Aitzetmüller-Klietz, M. L., et al. (2023). Complication rates after breast surgery with the Motiva SmoothSilk/SilkSurface silicone breast implant — A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10004118/
About the Author
Cameron Craven MD, FACS is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Craven specializes in the full spectrum of cosmetic surgery including breast augmentation, liposuction and body contouring, facial rejuvenation, laser surgery, eyelid surgery, and rhinoplasty, as well as reconstructive surgery for skin cancers.
Cameron Craven MD, FACS is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Craven specializes in the full spectrum of cosmetic surgery including breast augmentation, liposuction and body contouring, facial rejuvenation, laser surgery, eyelid surgery, and rhinoplasty, as well as reconstructive surgery for skin cancers.
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