Miami-based sales director Daniela Cesin, 31, says she had six lower ribs deliberately fractured during cosmetic surgery in Venezuela in August 2026, leaving her waist eight centimetres smaller six weeks later. In an interview published on Wednesday 28 October 2026, Cesin explained her decision, saying: 'I wanted to have that guitar hourglass shape.'
But rib remodelling was not the operation Cesin had travelled from the US to receive. She had booked liposuction and a fat transfer to her hips, only for her surgeon to determine at a consultation the day before that she did not have enough fat for the planned procedure. He offered to reshape her ribs instead, and she agreed to surgery the following day.
A Last-Minute Change of Plan
Cesin had previously undergone breast augmentation, rhinoplasty and eyelid surgery, but altering her ribcage was unfamiliar territory. She was initially reluctant because the bones protect organs in the chest and abdomen. Having already arranged her flights and taken three weeks off work, she decided to proceed with the alternative.
The procedure, known as RibXcar, was carried out under general anaesthesia. Her surgeon used ultrasound guidance and a vibrating surgical instrument through six small incisions in her back to create partial, or greenstick, fractures in three lower ribs on each side. When Cesin woke up, she was wearing a tight corset designed to hold the ribs inward while they healed.
What Is Rib Remodelling Surgery?
Unlike rib removal, rib remodelling leaves the bones in place but changes their position to narrow the torso. Patients undergoing procedures such as RibXcar typically wear a restrictive corset while their ribs heal, with Cesin instructed to continue for three months.The technique targets body structure rather than fat, offering an alternative when liposuction cannot produce the desired silhouette.
Rib remodeling reshapes lower ribs for a smaller waist. While viral on social media, experts warn that altering the skeleton risks organ safety.
— NDTV Lifeline (@NDTVLifeline) October 23, 2026
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For Cesin, the recovery was far from effortless. 'Your body doesn't get used to any position, so every hour I would wake up,' she said of her first week, when even getting comfortable in bed was difficult. She also experienced soreness and acid reflux while wearing the corset for 23 hours a day, particularly when eating.
The operation is drawing attention beyond specialist clinics. In July, Australian reality television personalities travelled to Bali as part of a promotional collaboration for rib contouring, sharing their experiences with social media followers. Their posts brought the procedure into wider conversations about achieving a 'snatched' waist through cosmetic surgery.
The Risks Behind a Smaller Waist
Research published in April 2026 examined 2,351 patient records from rib remodelling procedures performed between 2018 and 2024. It recorded complications in 86 cases, or 3.7%, including problems with bone healing, burns and pressure sores from corsets. Four patients who underwent RibXcar developed a collapsed lung, a potentially life-threatening complication, according to the survey of participating surgeons.
US plastic surgeon Johnny Franco has explained that modern rib remodelling uses specialised tools and ultrasound guidance, but results also depend on patients following postoperative corset instructions. Separately, the Royal College of Surgeons of England advises a reflection period of at least two weeks between consent discussions and cosmetic surgery. The UK guidance does not apply to procedures performed in Venezuela, where Cesin agreed to the alternative surgery just one day after her consultation.
Despite the uncomfortable recovery, Cesin reported an eight-centimetre reduction in her waist six weeks after surgery. She acknowledged that some people considered the procedure unnecessary, but said she was happy with the result. She also made clear that she had no plans to undergo further cosmetic surgery.
