With her unique artistic skill and high level expertise, Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. Preminger can help you achieve the look you’ve always desired with saline or silicone breast implants.
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Breast Augmentation in NYC
Why Patients Trust Dr. Preminger for Breast Augmentation
• Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, American Board of Plastic Surgery
• Past President of the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Greater New York Society of Plastic Surgeons
• Chair, Breast Aesthetic Committee, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2026
• 10-Year New York Super Doctor, Super Doctors Hall of Fame
• Castle Connolly Top Doctor, 12 Consecutive Years
• Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia–Trained, Academic and Clinical Leadership Background
• National Authority in Complex and Revision Breast Surgery
Breast augmentation is one of the most technically demanding procedures in aesthetic plastic surgery, where outcomes depend heavily on the surgeon’s experience, judgment, and specialized focus on breast aesthetics. Aviva Preminger, MD, MPH, FACS is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City with a national reputation for primary breast augmentation and complex breast revision surgery. Her leadership roles at both the state and national levels reflect the trust she has earned from her peers and her longstanding commitment to advancing the field of breast surgery.
Dr. Preminger has been recognized as a New York Super Doctor for ten consecutive years, earning induction into the Super Doctors Hall of Fame, and has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for twelve straight years, honors awarded through rigorous peer nomination and physician-led review. In 2026, she will serve as Chair of the Breast Aesthetic Committee for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting, a role reserved for surgeons recognized as leaders in education, innovation, and surgical technique.
Her expertise is grounded in elite academic training and decades of focused clinical experience. Dr. Preminger is a graduate of Harvard University and earned her medical degree from Weill Medical College of Cornell University, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She completed advanced plastic surgery training at New York-Presbyterian Hospital affiliated with Columbia and Cornell, a clinical research fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University. She has published peer-reviewed research, lectured nationally, and held academic teaching appointments, reinforcing the depth of expertise she brings to every breast procedure.
Breast augmentation can enhance or restore breast size, shape, and projection using saline or silicone implants, with results ranging from subtle refinement to more significant cosmetic breast enhancement. Whether the goal is to improve proportion, correct asymmetry, or restore volume after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss, Dr. Preminger approaches each case with a highly individualized and methodical process. Implant type, size, placement, and surgical technique are carefully customized to the patient’s anatomy and goals, with an emphasis on natural balance, longevity, and results that age well over time.
Before & After
Before & After
Under the care of Dr. Preminger, breast augmentation is performed on an outpatient basis. During pre-op consultations, the implant type, size and placement will have been decided. Incisions can be made within the crease of the breast fold, along the lower border of the areola, or within the underarm fold (transaxillary). Dr. Preminger will factor in patient preference and anatomy when deciding which type of incision to use.The procedure generally lasts from one to two hours and is performed using general anesthesia. After the breast implants have been correctly positioned, the incisions are closed with sutures, and then covered with surgical bandages. A sports bra and compression band is also used right after the operation to help keep the implants stable during the recovery process.
Quick Facts
Procedure Length
1-2 Hours
Anesthesia
General
In/Out Patient
Outpatient
Risks
Pain, bleeding, infection, asymmetry, capsular contracture, implant rupture
Side Effects
Temporary swelling, muscle tightness, bruising, some pain
Recovery
Back at work in 4-7 days
Resume light exercise at 2 weeks
Resume strenuous activity at 6 weeks
8-12 weeks for swelling to resolve
Duration of Results
Years
Preparing for Breast Augmentation
Preparing for breast enhancement entails a good deal of planning. Dr. Preminger will assess your motivations for breast augmentation surgery, review your medical history and preexisting health conditions and take measurements to determine a baseline for desired fullness. Ideal candidates for breast augmentation are patients in good health with realistic expectations about how the surgery can help them both physically and emotionally.Pre-operative consultations are in-depth, allowing Dr. Preminger to develop a detailed surgical plan that suits the patient’s lifestyle, anatomy and goals. After being educated on the pros and cons of silicone versus saline breast implants, and choosing your implant type, a customized treatment is designed. Considering breast surgery risks is another component of the planning process.
Implant placement and technique will also be evaluated. Women who are naturally small-chested may do better with the implants placed beneath the chest muscle, rather than directly under the skin. In general, Dr. Preminger prefers this approach since the muscle provides added coverage for the implant and allows for a more natural shape. Other advantages of this technique include less risk of capsular contracture, and fewer difficulties with mammograms.When women are considering breast augmentation surgery, one of the biggest decisions is whether to choose saline, silicone, or gummy bear implants. Each has distinct advantages and appeal. Dr. Preminger will discuss your aesthetic goals in light of your current cup size to help determine which implant will create a breast profile in proportion with your body.
Silicone implants
Allergen, Mentor and Sientra manufacture several types of silicone implants that are approved by the FDA for breast augmentation in women aged 22 and older. Silicone implants are pre-filled with a thick, silicone gel that looks and feels much like real breast tissue. Many patients prefer the look of silicone implants since the gel gives a more natural sloping appearance to the upper breast. One unique advantage of silicone implants is that their outer edgesare difficult to detect visually or by touch, even when placed over the muscle. Since silicone implants are already pre-filled, they do require a slightly larger incision, which is best placed in the inframammary fold for less conspicuous scarring. There is also less risk of folds and rippling compared with saline implants. Generally speaking, gel implants may be better suited for very thin women with a small bust line. The FDA recommends that patients with silicone implants get regular MRIs every three years to assess the integrity of the device and ensure the shell has not ruptured.
Saline breast implants
As their name implies, saline implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution. The outer shell is made of a smooth or textured silicone. Some implants are pre-filled with saline solution, while others are filled with saltwater at the time of breast augmentation surgery, allowing for a much smaller incision. The FDA approved saline implants for breast enhancement surgery in women aged 18 and older, as well as for breast reconstruction in patients of any age.While scars are smaller, saline implants may not feel quite as natural as their silicone counterparts, and tend to ripple more. On the other hand, scar formation and capsular contraction is much less common in saline implants compared to their silicone counterparts. For optimum results, appropriately sized implants will be placed under the chest muscle, with sufficient soft tissue coverage. Since saline implants can be filled during surgery, your surgeon can easily correct any breast asymmetry.
Motiva Ergonomix® Natural-Looking Breast Implant
Motiva Ergonomix® Natural-Looking Breast Implants offer an innovative approach to breast augmentation, featuring an advanced gel that mimics the look and feel of natural breast tissue. Unlike traditional silicone implants, Motiva Ergonomix® implants are designed to adapt to the body’s movements, creating a more natural contour and feel over time. Their unique “ProgressiveGel Ultima®” allows the implant to maintain its shape while offering softness that closely resembles real breast tissue. These implants have a round shape that naturally adjusts when the body is in different positions, helping to achieve a seamless, natural-looking result. With a strong safety profile, Motiva Ergonomix® implants have been associated with a lower risk of complications such as capsular contracture and rupture. They are a great option for women seeking a natural, aesthetic outcome in primary breast augmentation, revision surgeries, or reconstruction procedures.
Risks & Complications of Breast Implant Surgery
- Adverse reactions to anesthesia
- Bleeding or blood clots
- Breast pain
- Capsular contracture, where tissue around the implant hardens
- Infection
- Changes in nipple or breast sensation
- Chest wall deformity
- Implant rupture
- Rippling of the skin over the breast implant
Most breast augmentation patients feel sore and tired for at least two or three days after the surgery. Patients should expect swelling and bruising, which should gradually fade over the following weeks.
To help speed up the recovery process, patients should abstain from exercise or rigorous activity, and wear the special sports bra provided for the first week. Light activity can be resumed by week two, when most patients feel well enough to return to work. The sutures will dissolve over time, and residual inflammation should dissipate completely within eight to twelve weeks.
Patients can expect to see the final results of their breast augmentation approximately two to three months after surgery. All recovery instructions will be carefully outlined prior to the operation, and Dr. Preminger will follow-up with post-op appointments during the first weeks and months.
Video Transcription:
[Dr. Preminger] The most important thing that you need to know about breast augmentation is that it’s safe and that you have a lot of options. Those include implant size and the type of implant. So these days, we have lots of different options. And those include the traditional saline implant, silicone implants and new gummy bear implants.
We also have newer shaped devices. So one of the questions patients always have for me is, “Are silicone implants safe?” In 1992 the FDA actually pulled silicone implants off the market. The data that was used to pull them off the market, was found to not be valid. And so now we have silicone implants back on the market since 2006. We have the newest, cohesive 5th generation gels that have shown to be completely safe.
When we talk about breast implants the other questions that come up are incision placement– where do we put the implant in from? There are different options as far as that’s concerned as well. And those include the underarm, the area underneath the breast and the areolar or the pigmented area underneath the nipple.
[Patient] I wanted to have breast implants done because I felt I needed to be a little bit more proportionate. I had always spent a lot of time in the gym and worked on my body and I just felt that that was one area where I couldn’t really exercise or fix on my own. I started to look into the procedure and I decided it was something I wanted to do.
I chose Dr. Preminger because when I met with her, I felt really comfortable. I had researched a really long time and wanted someone very knowledgeable in the area– that specialized in that area. I also felt really comfortable that she was a woman and she just gave me the time to make the decision. I didn’t feel rushed into anything.
[Dr. Preminger] In this case, the patient actually has an asymmetry or a size difference between her two breasts. Her left breast was larger than her right. And that’s actually not at all uncommon. In fact, most womens breasts are not exactly the same size. I like to tell women that they’re more like sisters than twins. In order to accommodate and compensate for this difference, I actually used two different size implants. So I used a larger implant on the right side than the left to accommodate for the fact that her left breast was actually larger than the right.
So the hardest part about breast augmentation is actually all of these choices. Once we’ve made these decisions, the recovery and surgery itself is actually quite easy. People are amazed by how quickly they’re back to their activities. They’re back at work within a week usually. They’re very, very satisfied with the results.
[Patient] The recovery was perfect. I was in less pain than I thought I would be in. I was up the next day walking around. I was out that weekend. I felt very minimal pain. I was back in the gym a little while after that. The recovery process was extremely smooth.
I would definitely recommend Dr.Preminger for this procedure because she just made me feel very comfortable. And like I was the one making all the decisions and she displayed all possible options.