Alli Dore, a fetching crew member from the hit Bravo TV show “Below Deck,” is one of the few celebrities to go public with a growing beauty fad — rib recontouring. What is it, and what are the risks?
Rib recontouring—often called rib remodeling or rib shaping — is a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure designed to narrow the lower waist and create a more defined hourglass figure.
Unlike traditional rib removal, recontouring scores, partially fractures, and repositions the lower floating ribs (usually ribs 9 through 12) inward without fully removing the bone.
The procedure is considered far safer than having ribs removed, but still carries with it risks and ethical concerns, according to medical professionals.
The Below Deck yacht alum announced on air that she was pregnant and revealed that she was following a “medical weight-loss program” after experiencing “quite a lot of health issues.”
Then, last month, the 38-year-old reality TV personality posted on Instagram a before-and-after photo of the results of her medical recontouring.
She said she flew to Bali to have the surgery and was still recovering. “Just under halfway at 5.5 weeks out of 12 and already convinced this is the best thing I’ve done.”
A clinic called Snatched Waist performed the procedure on her and other influencers, Dore said.
Needless to say, the before and after looks drew mixed reviews, but her waist is clearly narrower. She explained that she underwent the operation to address postpartum “rib flare” and achieve an hourglass shape, which is evident.
While the procedure is reportedly growing in popularity among influencers, TV personalities and celebrities, only a handful of bold-face names have owned up to having it done.
Emira D’Spain, the “Next Gen NYC” Bravo reality personality, went to far as to document her entire procedure on social media, showcasing her recovery and final waist measurements.
Bec Zacharia and Awhina Rutene, who appeared on Australia’s “Married at First Sight,” also milked their procedures for publicity.
Other celebrities and reality stars have documented full rib-removal procedures.
Swedish model Pixee Fox documented having six of her ribs surgically removed to achieve a hyper-exaggerated 16-inch waistline inspired by cartoon characters.
Television and internet personalities Sophia Vegas and Jessica Alves both confirmed undergoing invasive cosmetic rib removal to reshape their torsos.
American model and performer Amanda Lepore said she went to Mexico for a procedure that broke and pushed inward her lower ribs—an early predecessor to modern remodeling.
So far, no A-list celebrities have revealed undergoing the procedure, although reports have long persisted — and heatedly denied — that Cher, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe and Kim Kardashian had ribs removed to get their hour-glass shape.
Cher even went so far as to hire a doctor to medically verify she possessed a full, untouched set of ribs. (Some girls just have it).
The procedure is reportedly often used during gender affirming care, when a male transititions to a female, to “feminize” the boxier male skeletal build.
Because it’s deemed an elective “plastic surgery,” most insurance companies won’t cover it. That means patients will foot the entire bill, ranging fron $7,000 to $25,000 in the United States. while the average cost is around $10,000 and $15,000.
The expense usually sends patients overseas where the average cost can be 50% to 70% lower. But they run the risk of falling prey to medical quacks and fraudsters.
Whenever an extreme body-shaping trend goes viral on social media, a black market inevitably emerges to capitalize on patients looking for cheaper or faster options.
Because rib remodeling involves intentionally fracturing bone in close proximity to vital organs, the emergence of unlicensed providers poses life-threatening risks, medical experts warn.
In the United States, a legal loophole allows any licensed doctor to perform the procedure even with zero formal training in plastic surgery.
A general practitioner, dermatologist, or even a dentist can legally buy ultrasonic bone-scoring equipment, open a “medspa,” and market themselves as a waist-sculpting expert
“Underground” clinics for cosmetic surgery are rife in Florida and California. Many are unlicensed operating out of residential homes or backrooms.
Overseas, Bali and Indonesia are key hot spots for “surgical tourism.” So-called cosmetic clinics heavily market on social media like TikTok and Instagram, offering “low-risk, lunchtime waist training.”
Botched rib recontouring is more serious than filler injections or bad liposuction; both can be corrected. Improper rib remodeling causes permanent damage to your skeletan.
Failing to score the bone at the exact depth can cause the rib to snap completely, piercing the lung (pneumothorax) or spleen. If the fractures are performed incorrectly, the bones will fail to heal together, creating a permanently loose, painful, and unstable chest wall.
Deep bone infections (osteomyelitis) can occur that require months of intravenous antibiotics and emergency bone removal to fix.
To perform the procedure a surgeon makes atiny, pinhole or small incisions in the lower back or sides. Specialized instruments, like ultrasonic scalpels are used to make precise, controlled partial cuts known as “greenstick fractures.”
Then, the lower ribs are gently pushed inward to narrow the skeletal frame of the waistline.
Patients must wear specialized compression garments or medical corsets for several weeks to train and stabilize the ribs in their new, narrower orientation as they heal.
While the procedure is controversial, it has several advantages over having ribs removed. It’s less invasive and the ribs still offer structure and protection for internal organs. Incisions are small enough to leave minimal scarring and nearby muscles, nerves and soft tissue are avoided.
And, the procedure is frequently paired with high-definition liposuction or a fat transfer to accentuate torso contouring.
Rib recontouring has a lower overall complication rate (around 3.7%) than traditional rib removal, but it is still considred a highly delicate surgery with significant risks of nerve damage, chronic pain, and potential lung injuries.
Because the procedure involves intentionally fracturing or scoring bone immediately adjacent to vital organs and blood vessels, serious complications can occur if it is not performed with extreme precision.
The ribs can also heal unevenly or snap at unintended angles, leaving the waist looking lumpy or asymmetrical.
Dore says she plans to update her social media to document her recovery. Let’s hope she made all the right moves before, during and after.
Keith Girard has four decades of experience as an award-winning reporter, editor-in-chief, and senior media executive. Keith’s career began in Washington, D.C., where he was a reporter for The Washington Post and a contributing editor for Regardie’s and Washingtonian magazines. He also worked as a writer/producer in CNN’s Washington Bureau and has written non-fiction books on the U.S. Marines in the Gulf War and Donald Trump and two novels, “The Heidelberg Conundrum” and “The Curse of Northam Bay.”