Daniela wanted narrower hips - and chose an unusual and dangerous procedure

Daniela Sassine flew to Venezuela for liposuction, but the doctor instead offered her a deliberate breaking of six ribs to narrow her waist. She agreed, and after six weeks reported a waist circumference 8 centimeters smaller, but described a difficult recovery with pain and a tight corset.

Daniela Sassine, a 31-year-old sales manager from Miami, flew to Venezuela for a plastic surgery procedure intended to suction fat and transfer it to her thighs. The day before the surgery, the surgeon told her she did not have enough body fat and offered an alternative: a deliberate breaking of six ribs to narrow her waist. Sassine agreed and underwent the RibXcar procedure, which involves creating partial fractures in the three lower ribs on each side using a vibrating device. Six weeks later, she reported a waist circumference 8 centimeters smaller, but described a difficult recovery that included pain, nearly sleepless nights, and a tight corset worn 23 hours a day for three months. A study published in April 2026 found complications in 3.7% of 2,351 patients who underwent rib contouring surgeries, including four cases of pneumothorax. British plastic surgeon Sandip Hindocha expressed doubts about the procedure due to its permanence and difficulty to reverse. Sassine does not regret it, but said she would not undergo further surgeries.