Women looking to pump up their breasts now have an alternative to the operating table. This week on "Fresh Gear," we'll examine the Brava, a high tech, non-surgical breast enhancement system promising increased bust size in a matter of weeks.

The prescription-only Brava system uses a microprocessor to regulate the pressure necessary for the body to generate new tissue. This concept of tissue generation has been around for decades but has been only recently applied to breast enlargement.

How Brava works

1. Two clear plastic domes specific to the wearer are placed directly over both breasts. Two small holes in the domes attach to a t-shaped tube.
   
   
2. The hole at the bottom of the "t" attaches to a SmartBox.
   
   
3. A microprocessor inside the matchbox-sized SmartBox provides and maintains suction, adjusting pressure throughout a 10-hour period to make sure it is consistent throughout the entire dome. Suction action puts pressure directly on the breast, causing new skin and breast tissue to eventually generate.
   
   
4. A black support bra houses the domes, tubing, and SmartBox.
   
   
5. The Brava must be worn 10 hours a day for a minimum of 10 weeks for the wearer to gain lasting breast enlargement.
   
   
6. When not in use, the Brava user places the SmartBox into a recharger/modem, where the information is uploaded to the Brava website. The website keeps track of wearing times, pressure per square inch, and also checks that the device is actually working. Brava wearers may also log on and track their progress.

Advantages and disadvantages

"The advantages of the Brava system are that it is not surgery, it is less painful, and the costs are actually lower," said Dr. Roy Kim, a plastic surgeon who's prescribed Brava for nearly 100 patients since its FDA approval in 2001.

Using the device properly, the average woman would expect to gain about a cup size, or about 100 grams of breast tissue. According to Kim, wearing Brava for the prescribed 10-week minimum won't yield large gains associated with surgical breast implants, but it will enhance overall shape and size.

Results worth it?

Women who've committed their bodies 10 hours a day generally feel the Brava's subtler, less-dramatic results are worth it.

"I choose to wear the Brava system because I didn't want to have surgery, and I didn't to have something synthetic in my body for the rest of my life," said Brava wearer Desiree Dobbert. "I wanted very natural results."

"When you wear the Brava, it kinda feels like wearing like one of those Madonna torpedo bras," Dobbert said. "But it's not uncomfortable at all. You have to be careful when you sit down, how you position yourself so you don't knock the domes and then lose suction."

Other women report enduring rashes, skin irritation, and trouble sleeping.

"I found it inconvenient to wear," said Katie Govi, a participant in a Brava test study. "I didn't sleep as well and everything. But I got the result I was looking for, so it was worth it."

Although the device has been around for less than four years, doctors claim Brava achieves permanent breast enlargement. Women in the original trial have so far retained added shape and size from using the Brava.

Consultation and the device itself cost around $2,500. Once purchased, the wearer owns the device.

This article is based on original reporting by "Fresh Gear" producer Rebecca Tollen.