Can I Get Rib Removal Surgery and Hip Implants At The Same Time?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I want to achieve an ultra-feminine body type and get my ribs removed (3 each side if possible). I want to narrow the waistline, maybe liposuccion on the flanks, and add hip implants if it’s possible to get large ones. From the side I love the look of my butt implants. However, from the front my body is still sort of boxy and I’d like to change that to achieve an hourglass shape. My ribcage is square shaped and so are my hips so these are the 2 things I’d like to target to achieve the most radical results possible in one surgery.

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. Certainly the three lower ribs per side can be removed and flank liposuction done to maximize the waisltine reduction. Large hip implants in particular have a high rate of complications (chronic seroma, edge show), particularly in thin patients, so I can’t encourage their placement at this time. They have a much higher rate of problems than buttock implants and the complication rates between them are not comparable due to the different types of issue pockets. 

Regardless I wouldn’t do rib removal and hip implants at the same time as that is a very hard and unnecessary recovery. So you maximize your waistline reduction first and then make the decision about hip implants later. Other than the fine line scar rib removal has had almost no complications in my experience. So you get that benefit first before ever considering a final hip implant procedure where the complication risk is much higher.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana