Married at First Sight Australia star Bec Zacharia has announced she is travelling to Bali for rib contouring surgery to achieve a 'Barbie waist', a procedure that is highly restricted in Australia and other countries.
Procedure Details and Risks
Rib contouring, also known as rib remodelling, targets ribs 11 and 12 to reduce waist circumference, according to a paper published in the National Library of Medicine. The procedure carries significant risks, including pneumothorax (collapsed lung), nerve irritation, and failure of rib bone cortex healing, as warned by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Dr Steven Teitelbaum, a Los Angeles-based plastic surgeon, told Allure: 'The risk of it will probably never be eliminated.' In 2025, a medical review in the National Library of Medicine concluded that there is insufficient evidence for the long-term safety of rib remodelling, stating: 'Rib remodeling appears to offer a less invasive alternative to full-rib resection... However, the current literature is insufficient to provide conclusive evidence regarding the long-term safety and efficacy of these procedures.'
Regulatory Status
The procedure is not approved in Australia, according to news.com.au. In Brazil, the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine has classified cosmetic rib remodelling as 'experimental'. José Armando Faria Jr, President of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, said in a translated statement: 'The CFM's decision is law and must be respected. If new studies emerge tomorrow that show safety, then a new evaluation can be requested. But, for now, it is prohibited.'
Public Reaction
Bec Zacharia's announcement has sparked backlash. An Instagram account called Mafs Uncensored commented: 'Young women are already being told they're not thin enough... Do we really need to market yet another way to alter a healthy body?' User Lexy Thornberry wrote: 'Having gone through cancer at 24... I hate to see something like this that puts a perfectly healthy young woman at risk.' Another user, Julie Rose, said: 'Young girls will be following and watching and this is not the kind of content they should be seeing.'
Travel Risks
The UK Government's Travel Aware campaign warns: 'All medical treatments carry risks and when you go abroad you have additional potential complications such as differing clinical standards, the need to cover the cost associated with unanticipated complications or emergencies, and difficulties travelling home post-surgery during recovery.'
Despite the criticism, some fans have supported Bec. Shakas said: 'Sending you prayers for a safe procedure, you are beautiful either way.' Bec ended her video with the statement: 'My body, my choice.'
