{"id":60531,"date":"2025-12-04T09:41:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T09:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/60531\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T09:41:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T09:41:17","slug":"exclusive-rib-remodeling-surgery-gaining-in-popularity-amid-risky-ozempic-body-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/60531\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive | Rib remodeling surgery gaining in popularity amid risky ‘Ozempic body’ trend"},"content":{"rendered":"

The shocking trend of suddenly curve-less celebrities flaunting their so-called \u201cOzempic bodies\u201d<\/a> is having a dangerous impact on women like Emily James.<\/p>\n

Easily accessible GLP-1 drugs can deliver a rail-thin frame in just months, as it has for boldfacers like Amy Schumer and Meghan Trainor. But James, 28, opted to take even more drastic measures in her quest for perfection \u2014\u00a0spending $13,750 on a risky rib removal procedure.<\/p>\n

Having a total of six ribs taken out of her body, three from each side, would allow her \u2014\u00a0she hoped \u2014 to instantly achieve the perfect physique she\u2019d always dreamed of. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead, James found herself in a waking nightmare.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Emily James, 28, opted for a controversial rib removal procedure that reduced her waistline from 32 inches to 24 inches \u2014\u00a0and now wishes she hadn\u2019t taken the drastic step. Courtesy Emily James<\/p>\n

After going under the knife to shrink her waistline from 32 inches to 24 inches, the lifestyle influencer exclusively told The Post, she had nothing but regret over her decision to go for the not-so-quick fix.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t recommend rib removal<\/a> surgery to anyone,\u201d James said in an interview on the first anniversary of her elective cut \u2014\u00a0which she said put some of her most vital organs in danger.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no longer ribs protecting my liver and kidneys, which could be a problem if I\u2019m ever in a bad accident or experience an extreme impact,\u201d said the Missourian. \u201cThe recovery process took about seven months. It was intense and incredibly painful. Coughing felt like someone was murdering me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Call it the high price of beauty that young women are gladly paying.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The procedure, known as rib resection or \u201cant-waist surgery,\u201d<\/a> has long beckoned already-slender women to operating tables.<\/p>\n

James said it took seven months for her body to heal after her rib removal surgery. Courtesy Emily James<\/p>\n

To create the cinched look, doctors typically saw off the 11th and 12th ribs, which are often referred to as the \u201cfloating ribs\u201d\u00a0because they\u2019re not connected <\/a>to the front of the rib cage.<\/p>\n

The high-risk operation has been around since the 1970s \u2014 when it was unappealing enough to turn off those seeking dramatic transformations on impulse.<\/p>\n

But now, an accessible alternative known as rib remodeling, or RibXcar<\/a>, is reviving the idea\u00a0at a time when total body overhaul has never been more fashionable \u2014\u00a0or this easy.<\/p>\n

Rib remodeling first appeared in the United States last year, after becoming popular in South America \u2014\u00a0offering torso-shrinking perks with just a few cracked bones.<\/p>\n

James kept her removed ribs for posterity. Courtesy Emily James<\/p>\n

An enthusiastic May 2025 report <\/a>by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons called rib remodeling a \u201clow-risk, highly successful method \u2026 ideal for patients who want to better define their waist and are on the hunt for something truly amazing to help create a svelte, contoured figure with little downtime or scarring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Women like New Yorker Shiqi Ma are signing up. Eager to show off a perfectly taut tummy at her destination wedding in Bali next July, she tapped Upper East Side plastic surgeon Thomas Sterry, who performed the RibXcar procedure earlier this year, at a cost of $10,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did this to feel confident on my big day,\u201d said Ma, 27, an accountant \u2014\u00a0who had Sterry shrink her from a 28-inch waist to 25.\u00a0\u201cMy new waistline makes me feel sexier. I\u2019m excited to see my wedding pictures and not feel the need to photoshop them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sterry\u2019s patient Shiqi Ma told The Post that her recent RibXcar procedure has done wonders for her self-confidence. Courtesy Dr. Thomas Sterry<\/p>\n

It was Ma\u2019s first cosmetic procedure, for which she \u2014 like most rib remodeling patients \u2014 was put under anesthesia. She said the pricey ordeal came with minimal pain, slight swelling and, most importantly, a Kardashian-esque finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now free from her \u201cstraight up and down\u201d build, Ma looks forward to entering the new year, the dawn of her bridal era, with an added measure of \u201cconfidence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not aiming to have a perfect body, just a more feminine look,\u201d Ma explained.<\/p>\n

In an interview with The Post, Sterry, a board-certified surgeon, called RibXcar an \u201ceasy, scarless procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI soften the outer cortex of the floating ribs, creating controlled fractures that bend, rather than break, the bones,\u201d he explained of the $14,000 to $16,000 tapering.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shiqi Ma is excited to show off her slimmed, feminized figured during her beach destination wedding in Bali next summer. Courtesy Dr. Thomas Sterry<\/p>\n

RibXcar, first pioneered by Dr. Ra\u00fal Manzaneda Cipriani<\/a>, begins with a CT scan of a patient\u2019s chest to determine which ribs can be treated during the process. An ultrasound-guided device is then\u00a0used to partially fracture each rib through pin-hole incisions. Through the small punctures, the ribs are gently repositioned inward to create a slenderized waistline.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Once out of the operating room, patients must wear a waist-training corset for at least 23 hours per day for three months. The corset acts as a cast, holding the fractured bones in their new, pinched positions during recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patients can expect a 4-inch change in shape, but Sterry \u2014 who likes to refer to RibXcar as \u201cInvisalign for the waist\u201d \u2014 said \u201cthe results are contingent on how often the patient wears the corset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Dr. Ramsen Azizi, a double-board-certified plastic surgeon in Chicago, began offering the surgery for $7,500 this summer, his practice has been inundated with requests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m shocked by the amount of calls I get \u2014 women from their early 20s through their early 60s all want it,\u201d the expert told The Post, noting that ladies over the age of 45 must first undergo a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, or DEXA, to determine bone density.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Azizi added that patients often bring in inspiration pictures of AI-generated vixens, tasking him with giving them the faux form. But he said that his clients come out looking more realistic than a digitized image.<\/p>\n

\u201cRib remodeling gives them a permanent narrowing and a natural look,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like the perfect storm of plastic surgery results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stevi Dee, 38, a single mother of one from South Florida, said that rib remodeling helped her feel \u201ccomplete\u201d after giving birth left her with a look she didn\u2019t want.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI got [a] Brazilian butt lift in 2017, but when I had my son in 2019, my body changed,\u201d said Dee, owner of Boca Raton\u2019s InkAngel<\/a> permanent-makeup studio. \u201cMy rib cage spread, and I got uncomfortably skinny due to the stress of being a single mom and an entrepreneur.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI even lost all the fat from my BBL,\u201d she told The Post.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stevi Dee told The Post that getting her ribs contoured boosted her self-esteem and gave her a renewed sense of contentment with life. Courtesy Stevi Dee<\/p>\n

To right the perceived wrong, she opted for a second BBL in October 2024 with surgeon Pat Pazmi\u00f1o \u2014\u00a0who suggested she simultaneously undergo rib remodeling. The procedure shaved 2 inches off her tummy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a $5,500 add-on, like you add on french fries at a restaurant,\u201d Dee explained, claiming her re-augmented rear and freshly refined waist complement her huge 30H breast implants.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And while she\u2019s an advocate for surgical self-improvements, Dee encouraged others to ensure that their mental health is in tip-top shape before making revisions to their shapes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis surgery is just another part of my journey \u2014 I was already happy with my body,\u201d she insisted.\u00a0\u201cNow I just have a bigger booty, bigger boobs and a really tiny waist.\u201d<\/p>\n

San Diegan Enna Schell, who\u2019s only a month post-op from her RibXcar transformation by Dr. Sergey Turin in Phoenix, Arizona, said she\u2019s equally pleased with her decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m already seeing results,\u201d the 34-year-old beauty content creator told The Post \u2014 adding that the chilly season is \u201cthe most wonderful time\u201d of year to get side-slimming surgery.<\/p>\n

Enna Schell told The Post she\u2019s thrilled to finally have the hourglass figure she\u2019s wanted all her life, but was unable to achieve due to her naturally athletic build. Courtesy Enna Schell<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in hibernation, wearing this corset and Spanx for now, but I\u2019ll be showing off my new shape in bikinis, drop-waist bottoms and low-rise jeans next summer.\u201d <\/p>\n

She\u2019s hoping the $12,000 body modification will ultimately shave off 4 to 5 inches from her formerly 27.5-inch center.<\/p>\n

At what eventual cost for her long-term health and body image, only time will tell, say experts like NYC psychotherapist Lesley Koeppel, who told The Post that before undergoing any major procedure, candidates need to be sure they\u2019re doing so for the right reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese kinds of drastic cosmetic surgeries can offer a temporary boost in self image, but they also carry the risk of reinforcing the belief that one\u2019s worth depends on how they look and on meeting trends in society. When surgery becomes the main way to manage this insecurity or discomfort with one\u2019s body, the long-term emotional outcome is often fragile,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n

\u201cSustainable self image comes from the internal work, such as with a therapist,\u201d Koeppel advised, \u201cnot from continually altering one\u2019s body in response to cultural expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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