When asked by a leading cosmetic surgery website what they believe will increase in popularity in 2026, several plastic surgeons answered “Rib Remodeling.” Rib remodeling?!?! What is that?
For years rib removal has been an urban legend in plastic surgery. This is an operation where the bottom two ribs are removed in order to narrow the waist. Certain celebrities were rumored to have undergone this procedure, including Cher and Kim Kardashian, both of whom have denied it.
But not everybody is denying it! The Mexican singer Thalia reportedly confirmed that she had her bottom three ribs removed from each side and even showed a photo of her ribs to fans. And now there are plastic surgeons advertising this operation on TikTok and Instagram!
So just how dangerous is rib removal surgery?
The ribs are meant to protect the organs of your chest and upper abdomen from trauma. If the lower ribs are removed, theoretically your liver and spleen could be more exposed and at higher risk of injury. This is a huge reason why I caution anyone on getting it.
The newest method of cosmetic rib surgery is called Rib Remodeling. During this operation, instead of removing the lower ribs, plastic surgeons are breaking them in and splinting them to have them heal in a more narrow shape. This basically accomplishes the same thing as rib removal surgery, but in a less invasive manner.
Rib remodeling is the operation that many plastic surgeons are bullish about in 2026.
But not me! It’s still too invasive! Each individual plastic surgeon draws the line at what they think is reasonable to do for the sake of cosmetics. My line is definitely drawn at rib remodeling surgery.
So what other cosmetic procedures are going to be popular in 2026? And what were the biggest stories in plastic surgery in 2025?
I cover all of this on the latest episode of my podcast, titled The Future of Aesthetics: What Really Changed in 2025 (And What’s Coming in 2026). In this episode we cover fascinating topics like:
- New Motiva breast implants
- Endolift laser skin tightening
- Body contouring after GLP-1 weight loss
- Ballerina breasts
- Alloclae “fat in a can”
- Fat banking
- And a lot more!
To listen on Apple devices, click HERE. To listen on Spotify, click HERE.
