Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
After weeks of flip-flopping, an Australian reality TV contestant revealed they went under the knife in Bali for a controversial procedure.
Former Married at First Sight contestant Bec Zacharia, who rose to prominence in the show’s 2026 season, confirmed to her followers that she has undergone a rib repositioning surgery in the tourist hotspot.
She shared a video with her 100k Instagram followers on Tuesday night, explaining that she faced a delay over the operation, which involves changing the location of four ribs.
“I’ve been lying to you, I haven’t had surgery yet – I’m in Bali, it’s almost been three weeks,” she said.
“There are delays in life, one that I can’t control, but today is the day . . . I’m actually going to take you in with me.”
The MAFS star was shown in the clip arriving at the Balinese clinic, receiving IV fluids from nurses, and then shown entering an operating theatre alongside two medical personnel.
The video then shows the 35-year-old in bed as she recovered from the rib procedure.
“I’m out of surgery, it all went really well . . . this is what I look like,” she told the camera, showing her medical corset.
“The pain is probably a 3 out of 10 right now. I’m comfortable. The hospital was incredible and now it’s just about making sure that I take you guys along on the journey of my results as they go.
“There was a delay but it was well worth it. I’m in bed and you’ll be seeing me in a corset for the next 12 weeks.”
The major update comes just one week after the reality star sensationally pulled out of the surgery, telling the MAFS Funny podcast that she was “taking a step back to think about it”.
“I’m not ready yet, I don’t know if I will be ready, I don’t know if I’m going to go ahead and get it done,” she told host Josh Fox.
Bec Zacharia was not the only Australian who travelled to Bali to undergo the controversial procedure, however.
She was part of a group of ten influencers, including fellow MAFS bride Awhina Rutene and Bachelor star Monique Morley, who were invited to visit the Indonesian island and undergo rib reshaping.
“I was invited to Bali by Snatched Waist as part of an influencer collaboration,” 35-year-old Bec told Women’s Day.
Rutene, a mum-of-one from Western Australia, was included on the trip but had to pull out of the procedure at the last minute.
Morley underwent the surgery on Tuesday, telling her Instagram followers that the operation was “basically like Invisalign for your teeth”.
Although the clinic footed the bill for the group’s trip, Bec stressed on the podcast that she did not feel any obligation to go under the knife.
“‘The company that’s brought me out here isn’t pressuring me saying, “You’ve got to get it done.” I have the full ability to make that decision as to whether or not it’s something that aligns with me,” she said.
What is rib remodelling?
Rib remodelling, also known as rib reshaping, is a cosmetic procedure involving fracturing the lower ribs and repositioning them to give a smaller waist.
Under general anaesthetic, surgeons make two punctures in a patient’s back before using a device called a piezotome to vibrate and weaken the bone.
Once the bone is weakened, the surgeon will apply pressure to fracture the outer layer before repositioning the bone to reduce waist width.
Following the procedure, patients are required to wear a compression garment for several months as their ribs heal into their new position.
In the Snatched Waist clinic, surgeons offer a RibXCar variation of the procedure, which is said to be less invasive.
Rib remodelling is not legal in Australia, with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Medical Board of Australia warning that the procedure carries many risks.
Australian medical professionals have also expressed concerns over the newness of the procedure, with one surgeon telling the Sydney Morning Herald there is a lack of long-term data on the procedure — and the limited data available is worrisome.
“The lower ribs aren’t purely cosmetic structures,” Dr Ricky Sia, vice president of the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia, said.
“Published data on rib reshaping procedures point to real complications – including collapsed lung, nerve injury, infection and poor bone healing – occurring in a meaningful minority of cases. The literature itself notes that the longer-term effects on breathing mechanics haven’t been well studied.”
Many Aussies seeking to undergo rib repositioning have instead opted to travel to Bali — where there is less rigorous regulatory oversight on cosmetic surgeries.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has warned against Aussies travelling abroad for risky procedures like this.
“While there are many highly qualified and educated surgeons practising around the globe, Australians who travel overseas for cosmetic surgery are often travelling into the unknown and will be in the care of a health system that is foreign and may not be easy to navigate, particularly if something goes wrong,” the organisation warned.
“ASPS has safety-based concerns about cosmetic tourism and the risks associated with the practice, and cautions Australians against considering surgery overseas.”
