Rib removal

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Rib removal is a surgical operation, usually performed on the lowest ribs to make the waist thinner. This is considered 'extreme' and is rarely formally documented.^[1] A more common activity, with documented results, is termed "rib resection" which is performed where ribs have been crushed, damaged or entry to the thoracic region is required on for other medical reasons, for cases of Thoracic outlet syndrome, for example.^[2]

This surgical method has been said to have existed for aesthetic purposes during the Victorian era, but evidence is scarce.

Removal of lower ribs

In this body-contouring procedure, most of the floating ribs (numbers 11 and 12) and occasionally rib 10 are removed. The rear portions of the ribs are left intact to protect against trauma to internal organs. This plastic surgery operation is performed under general anesthesia and requires hospitalization, and is irreversible as ribs do not re-grow.

Rib removal combined with abdominoplasty

In conjunction with abdominoplasty, rib removal gives patients an hourglass figure. In the past, this type of plastic surgery was popularized by certain celebrity dieters wishing to achieve an extra-lean body shape.

Rib removal per se does not reduce waist circumference. A decreased waist size is accomplished only by the removal of surplus body fat. This is why rib removal is typically combined with abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), a surgical procedure designed to remove excess skin and fat tissue from the abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. Abdominoplasty is sometimes combined with liposuction, depending on the degree of loose skin, excess fat, and abdominal muscle weakness in the patient.

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