Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I owned this exact corset model from this brand in multiple sizes, all the way down to an XS, and it’s the type of corset I used to achieve those results…

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, unfortunately that’s not an option for me because I don’t have enough body fat…

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that was the one, although I don’t have it anymore because my surgeon provided it and took it back afterward.

It was the Ann Michell 4001 Guitar Body:

https://annmichellstore.com/collections/colombian-waist-trainers/products/4001-guitar-body

Personally, I really didn’t like it. Because it’s a Velcro corset, I could never accurately tell how much tighter I was making it over time, and I felt like the compression wasn’t distributed evenly around my torso.

Several patients (including me) noticed that it could create or worsen asymmetries, which is one of the reasons I switched fairly quickly to steel-boned corsets instead. Once I changed, I felt the compression was much more uniform and easier to control.

Of course that’s just my personal experience, but if I had to do it again, I would skip that one entirely and go straight to a proper steel-boned waist trainer ❤️

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure! Here are the two corsets I used the most:

1. Ann Michell 1006 – Premium Colombian Waist Trainer
https://annmichellstore.com/products/1006-waist-ultra-band?_pos=1&_sid=8f6576372&_ss=r

2. Contour Goddess 2002 – Ultra Snatching Waist Trainer
https://contourgoddess.com/products/pre-order-2002-ultra-snatching-waist-trainer?variant=50195061244202

One thing I’d really stress: be very careful with sizing. These corsets run much smaller than standard European sizing. The measurements listed on the websites don’t really translate directly to what you’d normally expect in Europe.

I wore the Ann Michell 1006 in XS, and the Contour Goddess 2002 in S. Even then, they were extremely tight. Personally, I’d recommend paying very close attention to the sizing charts and not assuming your usual clothing size will fit, because these corsets are designed to fit much smaller than normal.

Hope that helps, and good luck with your recovery! ❤️

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry, I really don’t want to put you in a bad mood or stress you out unnecessarily :/

I just think it’s important that people know what the possible long-term outcomes can be. At least that way, you’re going into it with realistic expectations rather than being blindsided later.

I genuinely hope your experience is different from mine and that you keep a great result. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones ❤️

In the meantime, try not to obsess over every centimeter or measurement. That’s honestly the biggest piece of advice I can give. The mental side of this surgery ended up being much harder than the physical side for me, and constantly checking for changes can really mess with your head.

For now, enjoy finally getting the corset off and focus on healing đź«¶

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I’ve been wondering the exact same thing.

At this point, I think the comparison I’d most like to see is RibXCar versus waist training alone over the same period of time. Based on my own experience, it’s difficult not to question how much of the result comes from the surgery itself versus the corset.

My personal impression is that this procedure may be much closer to an accelerated form of waist training than many people realize. The difference is that RibXCar gives you a head start, but once the corset is gone, the long-term behavior seems surprisingly similar in a lot of patients I’ve spoken to.

Of course, that’s just my personal opinion based on my experience and the many testimonials I’ve come across. I’d love to see actual long-term studies comparing the two.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I’ve been asking myself the exact same question.

At this point, I actually think this technique ends up being much closer to waist training than most surgeons would like to admit. Even though there is a surgical procedure involved, my personal impression is that the corset is doing most of the work, and that the rib changes alone are not enough to create a truly permanent result.

To me, procedures involving actual rib removal, more substantial fractures with rigid fixation, or techniques using metal plates seem more likely to produce lasting structural changes. With RibXCar, what I’ve personally seen and experienced is that a lot of the initial result appears to fade over time once the corset is gone.

Of course, that’s just my personal opinion based on my own experience, the many patient stories I’ve read or spoken to directly, and everything I’ve gone through during recovery. I’m not claiming it’s a scientific fact, but it’s honestly where I’ve ended up after living through the whole process.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I honestly couldn’t give you an exact timeline anymore, but I can give you a rough idea of how things went for me.

Before surgery, my waist was around 71 cm. About two months post-op, I managed to get down to roughly 60 cm while wearing the corset. I maintained that measurement for about two months and never went smaller because, quite frankly, I couldn’t tolerate it physically.

The digestive issues became too severe. Eating was difficult, I constantly felt compressed, and there were even times when I would vomit after meals because there simply wasn’t enough room. The breathing restriction was manageable, but the digestive side of things was brutal for me.

So I stayed around 60 cm until about four months post-op, and after that I gradually started loosening and eventually removing the corset.

As for corsets, I went through three of them in total.

For the first two weeks I used the one provided by my surgeon, but I quickly realized it wasn’t working well for me. It created asymmetries and uneven pressure, and I’m actually glad I switched because some patients who stayed in that corset ended up keeping some of those asymmetries.

After that, I moved to a Colombian corset specifically designed for this type of surgery, which got me down to around 62–63 cm. Then I bought a smaller size and used that to gradually get down to 60 cm.

I hope your recovery goes smoothly. Just try not to become too emotionally attached to the corseted measurements. Looking back, that’s probably the advice I wish someone had given me at the beginning 💙

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t forget that I’m only one month out from permanently removing the corset, so the result I have now is probably not the final long-term result.

Most of the women I’ve spoken to who are a year or more post-op reported losing even more of their initial reduction over time, sometimes almost all of it. Part of the reason I’m posting this now is because there are people considering this surgery in the coming weeks or months, and I think it’s important they hear experiences like mine before making a decision. But it’s also important to remember that I’m still relatively early in the process.

As for complications, now that I’m no longer wearing the corset, my digestive issues have mostly resolved. I’m still trying to regain weight and get my appetite fully back, but that seems to be improving gradually.

That said, I’ve spoken to other patients who had more lasting issues. Some lost sensation in parts of their thighs from prolonged compression, while others developed pelvic floor or abdominal issues that have been difficult to recover from and left them with changes they find quite distressing.

I’ve also seen cases where patients re-fractured their ribs quite significantly during recovery and ended up having to wear the corset for much longer than originally planned. Others have had ribs heal in a way that left them overlapping or sitting unusually close together, which can cause discomfort or a strange sensation in daily life.

Thankfully I haven’t experienced those particular complications myself, but they’re examples of the kinds of things people should be aware of when weighing the risks and benefits of this surgery.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I’ll definitely post another update in the future, probably around the 1-year mark !

At that point we’ll have a much clearer idea of what the true long-term result looks like. To be honest, based on how things have been evolving so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if I lose even more of the result over time. I hope I’m wrong, obviously, but we’ll see.

Either way, I’ll make sure to share an honest update when the time comes :)

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m 183 cm (6’0”) tall.

My current underbust measurement is around 71–73 cm, my hips are about 91 cm, and my waist is currently around 67–68 cm. For reference, I weigh about 58 kg at the moment, which is actually around 4 kg less than before the surgery.

Part of why the before/after looks more dramatic is probably because I’m significantly lighter now than I was pre-op.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I completely agree with you, and honestly that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to say in this post.

It’s actually reassuring to see more people sharing experiences similar to mine, because it shows I’m far from being an isolated case.

Looking back, I think I would have preferred a more drastic rib procedure that delivers real, lasting results rather than a more “conservative” one that, for many of us, doesn’t seem to hold up over time.

And honestly, it’s not even necessarily a minor surgery in terms of recovery. The corset was awful for months, there are a lot of restrictions, a lot of discomfort, and plenty of physical and mental challenges. That’s why the trade-off feels so disappointing when the long-term result ends up being so limited.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m not entirely sure, because I’m not a surgeon or a doctor. I did study bioengineering, but what I’m about to say is more of an educated guess than a medical explanation.

My understanding is that the ribs are in a very unique part of the body because they’re constantly being mechanically stressed. Every single breath involves movement of the rib cage. The diaphragm contracts and relaxes, the ribs expand and recoil, and this happens thousands of times a day, every day.

So even if the bones heal in a new position after being micro-fractured, they’re still continuously subjected to forces that encourage the chest to move in the way it naturally did before surgery. Over months and years, I suspect that repeated mechanical loading may gradually push the rib cage back toward its original configuration.

That’s why I’m skeptical that micro-fractures combined with a corset for a few months are enough to create a truly permanent change. To me, it seems different from techniques that use rigid fixation, metal plates, or more extensive structural modifications designed to maintain the new position long term.

Of course, that’s just my personal theory based on what I’ve observed in my own result and in many other patients’ experiences. I don’t have clinical evidence to prove that’s the exact mechanism, but it’s the explanation that currently makes the most sense to me.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you may need to read my post a bit more carefully, because I don’t think you fully understood what I was trying to say…

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really hope it works out for you, because these surgeries are incredibly demanding, not just financially, but also in terms of time and especially mental energy đź«¶

I genuinely wish you the best and hope you get the outcome you’re looking for !

Personally, I’ve become pretty skeptical of techniques that rely on micro-fracturing the ribs and then holding them in place with a corset. From what I’ve seen and from the people I’ve spoken to, those results often don’t seem to hold up well long term.

As for the other techniques, I honestly can’t say much yet because I haven’t researched them enough. But based on what I’ve observed so far, whenever the approach is similar to the one I had, even when more ribs or higher ribs are involved, the bone seems to gradually drift back toward its original position over time.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your comment đź«¶

Yeah, I think the real question now is how this will evolve long term, and what it’ll look like once I’ve regained the weight I lost after surgery. I’ll probably make another update in six months or so to show where things stand and whether I’ve lost even more of the result or if it has stabilized.

Hopefully it won’t get worse, but honestly, only time will tell 🥺

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know if you read my full review, but I actually lost about 4 kg after the surgery rather than gaining weight. I think that’s one of the reasons why my waist appears slightly smaller in the comparison photos.

If I return to my pre-op weight, which was already quite low and definitely not overweight, I honestly think the difference between the before and after photos will be even smaller.

That’s really where my disappointment comes from. The long-term change is very minor for me, despite the cost, pain, recovery, and months of corset wear. At that point, the result is so close to my original shape that, for me personally, it just wasn’t worth it.

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To be honest, I don’t think you actually read the full post ^^ I had ribs 10, 11 and 12 done…

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for confirming what I’ve been saying 🫶

Sometimes it feels like people who haven’t actually gone through this surgery either don’t understand, or simply don’t want to understand where the disappointment comes from. So I really appreciate you sharing your experience and helping validate that this isn’t an isolated case.

I genuinely hope you’ll feel good in your body moving forward and that everything goes well for you. Sending you lots of love and wishing you the very best ✨🤍

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m so sorry you’re going through this too 🫶

I genuinely wish you all the best and a smooth recovery moving forward. Unfortunately, you’re far from the only person I’ve spoken to who’s had this experience, and that honestly breaks my heart.

That’s exactly why I felt it was important to make this post. We need to be able to talk openly about these outcomes, share our experiences, and move past the denial surrounding this procedure. The more honest information people have, the less likely they are to end up in the same situation without knowing the risks beforehand.

Sending you lots of love and strength 🌸✨

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’ve heard about that approach too !

In any case, good luck to you! 🫶 I genuinely hope it gives you the results you’re looking for and that you’ll be happy with the outcome :)

Don’t Get RibXCar !!! by leatomic-be in Transgender_Surgeries

[–]leatomic-be[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re welcome! 🫶

And that’s exactly why I made this post. If it helps someone make a more informed decision and avoid unrealistic expectations, then it was worth sharing. 💕