Rise of dangerous ‘Barbie waist’ surgery as women spend thousands having ribs REMOVED to look like red carpet celebs
IT’S an invasive, extremely high-risk procedure that could leave patients with a lung puncture, nerve damage and chronic pain.
But despite the eye-watering risks, more women than ever are opting for ‘Barbie rib’ surgery – that’s having one or more ribs taken out – to achieve a tiny waist.
In the 1950s, stars of the silver screen such as Marilyn Monroe wowed with their tiny hourglass figures.
But in 2025, women are going one step further by opting for the latest surgery trend.
When Kim Kardashian graced the Met Gala’s red carpet last March wearing a tightly cinched silver corset, it sparked rumours that the A-lister may have gone under the knife.
While getting ready for the event, she told Vogue: “I’ll feel so snatched I won’t even be able to communicate to you how snatched I feel.”
She fiercely denied rumours of rib removal, later saying: “I don’t even know if that’s possible.”
Well, the shocking surgery IS possible, with many women now going under the knife to achieve the same look as their favourite red carpet celebs.
The surgery, performed under general anaesthesia, involves the surgeon detaching the rib bone and removing it or partially removing to give the appearance of a slimmer waistline.
The ribs can also be repositioned, and a rib brace is then worn to compress the midsection.
It’s an incredibly dangerous procedure that could cause the lungs to collapse or damage other internal organs, with few experienced surgeons willing to carry out the op.
Hazim Sadideen, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at the Cadogan Clinic, told The Sun: “There’s been a lot of noise around the ‘Barbie rib’ procedure, and I think it’s important to separate fact from fiction.
“First off, rib modification and rib removal are very different things.
“True rib removal, where one or more of the floating ribs are completely taken out, is an invasive and high-risk procedure. I would never recommend it purely for cosmetic reasons.
“The risks include lung puncture, nerve damage and chronic pain. There are long-term asymmetry risks too.”
Other celebs have also been rumoured to have had the surgery, including Cher and singer Prince, while other A-listers have donned corsets and tight dresses on the red carpet to achieve a cinched look – a body ideal that has seeped onto social media.
Under the knife
Despite the controversy, Essex Mum Kerry Miles, 41, still planned to spend £15,000 on the procedure after using a corset to shrink her waist to just 21 inches.
Belgian performer Jada Sparks spent over £14,000 having ribs removed. The former nurse said: “I’ve done it for the cosmetic reason, but also the thrill of it to be honest.
“I went down about 2.5 inches from the start until now.
“I think I have reached my ultimate result now. In the beginning, it felt weird, but your body is an odd thing, it can adapt really quick.
“So, I like the feeling right now of having something ‘missing’.”
Emily James, an influencer from Kansas City, Missouri, spent £13,000 having six of her ribs removed last year – and claims it is no different to a Brazilian Butt Lift.
Emily told The Sun she’d researched her procedure thoroughly and defended her decision.
She says: “I absolutely think that it’s important to make informed, well-thought-out decisions before you get plastic surgery.
“People should not just be going into random like garages, getting oil pumped into their bodies for like a BBL or getting veneered by some girl that you found on Instagram.
“It’s important to make well-informed decisions, and if you’re going into it with the mindset knowing the risks and the benefits, then you absolutely should do what you want to do.
“But just keep in mind that it is plastic surgery, and there are dangers involved, and there are risks and complications that can arise from getting these kinds of surgeries.”
‘Barbie waist’
The iconic Barbie doll has impossible proportions – which in real life would be 39″ bust, 18″ waist and 33″ hips.
Her terrifyingly tiny waist measurement would in reality be smaller than that of the average three-year-old.
A Google search of “Barbie rib procedure” yields over 135,000 results.
But while Mr Sadideen believes filtered images don’t reveal the truth about invasive procedures, Emily, who had post-surgery complications with a catheter, was able to get the surgery without any psychological evaluation or counselling.
“There was nothing like that,” she says. “But it was a really hard process to find someone that I felt comfortable going to.
“There were lots that were certified to do the surgery, but I didn’t feel they were qualified. I wanted someone who really understood me.”
Emily flew almost 800 miles for the surgery in Cleveland, Ohio.
But with the trend taking off on social media and celebrities in the US, Germany and UK reportedly having it done, increasing numbers of women are attending clinics asking for their ribs to be removed.
While Towie’s Abigail Clarke is also rumoured to have had the procedure, Emily says the invasive and risky surgery, which she’s still recovering from, was more painful than she imagined.
“I got there about 6.30 in the morning and honestly, I was really scared,” she says. “I knew my rib removal was going to be painful because I’d done a lot of research.
“I had my boobs done at the same time, but coming out of surgery, I was super swollen, and I couldn’t sit up or lay down by myself.
“I had to have someone help me stand up, lay down, pretty much do everything.
“It was a really intense surgery, and I had a lot of numbness and pain for a long time.”
‘Emotional toll’
While Emily has documented her journey online, Mr Sadideen says social media could be to blame for the increase in requests for these types of invasive procedures.
“What really worries me is how social media glamorises extreme body transformations without showing the full story – the recovery, the risks, or the emotional toll,” he says.
“The rise of these trends is often driven by filtered images and unattainable ideals, which can feed into body dysmorphia and lead people to believe something drastic is the only solution.”
While Emily had no psychological evaluation at all prior to the procedure which altered her skeleton, he believes the mental capacity of a patient should factor into every surgical evaluation.
Just because something is technically possible doesn’t mean it’s the right choice
Mr Hazim Sadideen
“Any patient considering a procedure like this should undergo a thorough psychological assessment to ensure they’re making this choice for the right reasons, not due to pressure or distorted self-image,” he says.
“As surgeons, we have a duty to protect our patients.
“Just because something is technically possible doesn’t mean it’s the right choice.”
Despite having the support of her loved ones, Emily is aware that she entered into the procedure without any long-term idea of how her rib removal might affect her body in the future.
“I knew going into surgery, the ribs I was having removed do serve some protection of my kidneys and my liver,” she says.
“I don’t think that I regret any of my surgeries, but who knows when I’m 60 if I’ll have complications from my rib removal.
“I’ve noticed already there has been one weird complication that whenever I get sick or cough, my muscles separate. So yeah, there might be complications later down the road.”
Mr Sadideen says there is a less invasive option that can be considered without needing to go to the dangerous extremes Emily has.
“There is a more conservative alternative sometimes referred to as rib reshaping or rib modification,” he says.
“In very carefully selected cases, surgeons may use a controlled mini-fracture technique to slightly bend a rib inward.
“It’s a method already used in nose reshaping – known as rhinoplasty – and orthopaedic surgery.
“But it must be done with the utmost precision, using detailed scans, ultrasound guidance during surgery, and specific tools to reduce risk and avoid complications.
“Even so, the data is still emerging, and we don’t yet have a full picture of long-term safety or outcomes.”
While Emily – who plans to make a crown out of the ribs she’s had removed – has received a barrage of online hate for her surgery choices, she says it doesn’t bother her.
“I’ve had a lot of people say that I worship the devil, or that I’m like, controlled by Satan because I am making a crown out of my rib bones, which is really silly,” she says.
While there are plenty of celebrities who are rumoured to have had the procedure done – from Cher to Prince to Kim Kardashian and Demi Moore, Mr Sadideen says society’s obsession with filters could be resulting in the dangerous trend growing in popularity.
“Extreme procedures like rib removal should be a last resort, not a trend,” he says.
“And we should all be asking: are we doing this to feel better, or just to look better on a screen?”