Rib Removal Surgery

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in rib removal surgery. I want a slimmer waist. It’s something I can’t achieve with working out unfortunately. The more I work out the more boy like my body becomes. I look more feminine in my body shape when I work out less because when I burn fat my body becomes very straight. I have narrow hips and a small butt. I don’t have much fat on my belly so I know that is not the issue. My body shape is just very straight. I would like to have a more curvy body (I am also considering butt implants but that is an entirely different procedure). I don’t know how many ribs would be needed to take out in order to achieve what I want. I am not obsessed with a slim waist line I would simply like to narrow it somewhat. I think I would need your guidance to know how many and what I can achieve. I don’t want anything that would look unnatural, and I don’t want to risk my health. Being able to work out is important to me and I don’t want to be limited in any way. I don’t want to look like a Barbie, I simply want a enhancement to my body, to look more attractive and more feminine. Please suggest. Thank you and looking forward to your reply.

A: For your very straight torso, waistline narrowing by rib removal would likely be effective. Rib removal surgery of at least #s 11 and 12 would be needed and possibly a part of #10 as well. This is both safe, does not preclude working out afterwards and produces a very visible indentation at the anatomic waistline level. Since this type of rib removal surgery is done in the prone position, one may consider concurrent buttock implant surgery as well since that also has to be done in the prone position and any amount of buttock augmentation would contribute to your overall more curvy body as well.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana