If the first book of the Bible reads correct, and God created Eve from Adam's rib to ease his loneliness, I could easily understand why Eve might have visited a local surgeon during her stay in the Garden of Eden, to make inquiries into the possibility of having it removed. I lived with a man once; it was anything but peaceful.

Today, rib removal is still a relatively uncommon cosmetic procedure where one or two of the floating ribs at the bottom of the rib cage are taken out to create an hourglass figure. Women who have been rumored to have undergone the elective procedure include: Cher, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, Racquel Welch, Tori Spelling, Pamela Anderson, Gina Lollobrigida, and Victoria's Secret model Stephanie Seymour. Some surgeons contend that excessive scarring, the need to protect internal organs, and the possibility for rib regrowth make this a problematic and controversial operation.

One of few surgeons in the United States who claims to specialize in rib removal is Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Aaron Stone M.D.. According to his website, which includes exceedingly colorful before and after pictures, "rib removal is used to create an hourglass figure as an adjunctive procedure to abdominoplasty, which elevates, redrapes and tightens the abdomen and waist. The floating ribs (numbers 11 and 12) do not come all the way around to meet the breastbone in the front. Number 12 is only on the back and sides while 11 does come to the front of the body. Most of ribs 11 and 12 and occasionally 10 are removed to give patients a more feminine hourglass figure via an abdominoplasty incision. This operation should not be treated lightly. It is not reversible and should be done in the hospital with an overnight stay. The patient has to be a candidate for an abdominoplasty before rib removal is performed."

When I called Stone's office, his receptionist was kind enough to answer a few basic questions. According to her, the cost of the procedure may range from $8000.00 to $16.000. A consultation with the good doctor, at the relatively inexpensive price tag of $120.00, is necessary in order to receive an exact quote. Much of this cost is associated with the hospital stay, which may run as long as three days after the surgery. "If you've ever broken a rib," the receptionist added, "you won't be surprised to learn that rib removal is anything but painless."