The ribs are down.
Now make it stick.
Surgery moved your lower ribs, but breathing and core are what hold them there. The complete, cited recovery plan for after chest-wall repair.
Four phases, from the hospital stay to a full anti-flare program. You progress on your surgeon's clearance, never the calendar.
The surgery is done.
Now what?
Rib flare almost never warrants surgery on its own, so if yours was operated on, it was part of a larger chest-wall repair with hardware. The ribs are in a new position now, and whether they stay there comes down to retraining the diaphragm and core that no one tells you how to use.
The plan you should have
left hospital with.
Not generic post-op advice, a phase-by-phase recovery program written specifically for a chest-wall repair involving rib flare, with every claim cited so you and your surgical team can trust it.
Surgery moved the ribs.
This keeps them there.
The problem with most post-op advice is that it's a page of restrictions and a follow-up date. Nothing on the one thing rib flare actually depends on: a diaphragm and core that can hold the lower ribs down.
This program runs the whole arc in order: restore quiet, rib-down breathing first, reprogram the diaphragm-and-core pattern that stops the ribs flaring, build deep-core and posterior-chain control so rib position holds under load, then return to full training. Physiotherapy alongside chest-wall correction measurably improves outcomes.
From surgery
to normal.
Recovery is a sequence, not a guess. Every stage has one job, and you only move on when your surgeon clears it, not when the calendar says so.
Get the Program →Go in fit and ready, practise exhale-led rib-down breathing, build a back and core base, sort nutrition, and set up home for the first two weeks.
Multimodal pain control, walking on day one, hourly breathing work and clot prevention, what to expect and how to make it count.
Restore quiet, rib-down breathing, the foundation of rib position. Long, full exhales; no twisting; log-roll everywhere.
Reprogram the diaphragm-and-core pattern that keeps the ribs from flaring, and avoid the back-arching stretches that pop them forward.
Build deep-core and posterior-chain control on your surgeon's clearance so rib position holds under load. The gym + bodyweight program begins.
Return to full training and most sport while keeping rib-down control automatic. Collision sport only with clearance.
Surgery set it.
Breathing keeps it.
Rib flare lives and dies on breathing mechanics. A diaphragm that can't fully exhale leaves the lower ribs hiked up and flared; pain after surgery makes that worse, and shallow breathing also collapses the lower air sacs. Retraining the exhale fixes both at once.
of thoracic-surgery patients develop a pulmonary complication, with collapsed-lung atelectasis the usual first domino. Keeping the lungs inflated with daily breathing work is front-line prevention, and it doubles as your rib-down training.
is the cue the whole program is built on: breathe out fully and the lower ribs settle down; let them stay there on a quiet inhale. Generic ab work skips this, which is why it so often makes flare worse.
is when body image, self-esteem and confidence climb the most after chest-wall repair. Staying active and retraining the breathing through recovery is what makes the result stick.
Retraining a full exhale lets the lower ribs settle, while keeping the lungs inflated prevents the atelectasis and pneumonia that complicate a quarter-to-half of thoracic surgeries; physiotherapy alongside chest-wall correction improves functional outcomes. Every figure in the program maps to a numbered reference you can check.
The whole recovery,
start to finish.
Every chapter is written for after surgery and every claim carries a citation, so you can trust it, and so can the surgeon and physio you're working with.
Built around your surgeon,
never around them.
My name is Mihail Veleski. I've spent over a decade helping people through every stage of pectus, including the ones who chose surgery and needed a clear, safe plan for everything that comes after the operating room.
This program doesn't compete with your surgical team. It organises the breathing, posture, pacing and progressive strengthening that protect your repair and keep the result, every recommendation cited, every limit deferring to your surgeon's clearance.
"Featured in Healthline. Certified Personal Trainer (DUKE Level 5 / ISSA). Specialised in pectus excavatum, carinatum and rib flare since 2015."
Medically reviewed
Every clinical claim on mrpectus is reviewed by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yüksel, MD
Thoracic surgeon, founder of the Chest Wall International Group
Is this the right
program for you?
This program never overrides your surgeon or physiotherapist. Their instructions always come first.
Give your recovery
a real plan.
The complete, cited recovery program, from the days before surgery to the day you're cleared for full sport. Yours for life, for less than a single physio session.
30-day guarantee: read it, use it, and if it isn't what was described, email me for a full refund, no questions asked.
Transformations & Real Stories
Read them by rating, or by what people actually got out of it - the transformations, the honest reviews, and the messages that land in my inbox every week.
across 35 rated statements
500+ reviews collected since 2015. Open a bar, a tag or a condition to read the published ones.
What the 4.8 is made of
45 published statements · 500+ collected since 2015
- ★★★★★
Had rib flare since i was a teen. the brace plus the breathing drills changed everything. my waist looks normal in a fitted shirt for the first time in my adult life
Daniel K. Rib Flare 27
Rib Flare Brace Bristol, UK 🇬🇧
- ★★★★★
the breathing protocol alone changed how i feel day to day. didnt realise how shallow i was breathing until i fixed it. the rib flare correction kind of followed on its own
Sam B. Rib Flare 21
Rib Flare Course Oregon, USA 🇺🇸
- ★★★★★
the course structure is exactly what i needed. not overwhelming, not vague. each module builds on the last and you always know what to do next
Jake M. Rib Flare 23
Rib Flare Course Texas, USA 🇺🇸
- ★★★★★
what sold me is that every claim links to a study. only place online that treats pectus like an actual training problem instead of selling a miracle
David P. Rib Flare 34
Read the blog Rotterdam, Netherlands 🇳🇱
- ★★★★★
dip and flare at the same time. THE FLARE WENT FIRST, which nobody warned me would happen, and that alone changed my whole silhouette
Bruno Salgado PE + Rib Flare 30
1-on-1 Coaching São Paulo, Brazil 🇧🇷
- ★★★★★
brace did its job on the flare. what i actually wanted was how to run it alongside the vacuum bell work in the same week. asked and got a proper answer same day, but that should be in the material, not something you have to know to ask for
Otto PE + Rib Flare 25
Rib Flare Brace Tampere, Finland 🇫🇮
- ★★★★★
Everyone i asked just told me to do more core. turns out i was breathing into my neck this whole time. learning to actually use my diaphragm was the entire fix
Georgia Rib Flare 24
Rib Flare Course Perth, Australia 🇦🇺
- ★★★★★
started out flat on my back every night checking whether my ribs still stuck up, they always did. got the rib flare program and actually did the breathing side properly this time instead of just the exercises. four months later i lie down and theyre flat - i still check out of habit and still cant quite believe it
Hanna Rib Flare 22
Rib Flare Program Malmö, Sweden 🇸🇪
- ★★★★★
the fortnightly check-ins are the only reason im still doing this. left on my own id have quit around week 3, easy
Katarina Rib Flare 31
1-on-1 Coaching Split, Croatia 🇭🇷
- ★★★★★
obsessed with watching that number drop every month ngl. 10/10
marta_v Rib Flare 25
The app Valencia, Spain 🇪🇸
- ★★★★★
clear, cited, actually practical. heavy going in the anatomy chapters if you have no background, but id rather be given too much than too little
Aisha M. Rib Flare 27
Rib Flare Brace Guide Dubai, UAE 🇦🇪
- ★★★★★
material's good and i have no issue with the science. my honest gripe is the early modules cover the same ground as the free blog posts, which id already read before buying. the later phases are where the real value sits. wouldve paid the same to skip straight to those
Stefan Nagy Rib Flare 34
Rib Flare Course Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺
- ★★★★★
I came across your blog about a year ago and I just want to say how much you've changed my life for the better. I thought it was going to be another average article, but the tips you gave were things I hadn't heard of before. Now I've improved so much and im more confident then ever.
Cristian PE 17
Read the blog USA 🇺🇸
- ★★★★★
Mihail doesnt sugarcoat anything. told me exactly what to expect and exactly how long it would take. 12 months in and my carinatum is flat. i finally take my shirt off at the beach
Aiden R. PC 19
1-on-1 Coaching Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺
- ★★★★★
spent two years researching surgery before i found this. six months in and i wish id found it sooner. the progress photos dont lie
Tom W. PE 24
Pectus Excavatum Course Manchester, UK 🇬🇧
- ★★★★★
Was skeptical, id tried everything before. the custom vacuum bell was different to anything id used. three months of consistent use and i can already see the sternum coming up
Chris L. PE 31
Vacuum Bell Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦
- ★★★★★
The carinatum brace is really well made. fits perfect to my chest and i can wear it under a t-shirt at work. results started showing around 4 months
Nico P. PC 17
Pectus Carinatum Brace Milan, Italy 🇮🇹
- ★★★★★
direct, no nonsense. mihail knows this condition better than any doctor ive seen. my GP was shocked when i showed him my 9 month comparison photos
Ryan H. PE 29
1-on-1 Coaching Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪
- ★★★★★
been watching mihails youtube since 2017. finally bought the program in 2023 and kicked myself for waiting. shouldve trusted him years earlier
Liam O. PE 26
PE Exercise Program Auckland, New Zealand 🇳🇿
- ★★★★★
My son is 15 and was getting self-conscious at the pool. The carinatum brace and the fortnightly check-ins are what kept him consistent. Six months and the ridge has visibly dropped.
Parent of Ethan PC 15
Pectus Carinatum Brace Michigan, USA 🇺🇸
- ★★★★★
Seven months with the bell now. dip is maybe half what it was and i've stopped turning sideways away from people at the gym lol. didnt expect that part
Tobias PE 24
Vacuum Bell Hamburg, Germany 🇩🇪
- ★★★★★
started at 19 with a chest i couldnt look at in the mirror. went with the excavatum course cus everyone kept telling me nothing but surgery works and i didnt buy it. 5 months of doing the work most days and my chest sits noticeably flatter now - the surgeon who told me wait and see at 17 wouldnt recognise it. only regret is i didnt start the day i turned 17
Wes PE 19
Pectus Excavatum Course Colorado, USA 🇺🇸
- ★★★★★
Nine months in and my cardiologist literally asked what id changed. resting heart rate came down and i sleep breathing through my nose now. still kind of wild to me
Andrés Vásquez PE 31
1-on-1 Coaching Santiago, Chile 🇨🇱
- ★★★★★
1100 pages sounded ridiculous til i realised its a reference not a book you read front to back. im in the vacuum bell chapters basically every day
callum_g PE 22
Breathe Deeper Glasgow, Scotland 🏴
- ★★★★★
Back and rear delt work changed how my chest reads more than anything i did to the actual chest. did NOT expect to be told that
Dmitri PE 29
PE Exercise Program Riga, Latvia 🇱🇻
- ★★★★★
App keeps me honest ngl. i log the bell session and it tells me when ive earned the next step up. before this i was just guessing
Joon-ho Park PE 26
The app Seoul, South Korea 🇰🇷
- ★★★★★
my mum found mihail tbh. four months of coaching and the difference between the photos is obvious. never had to sit in front of a surgeon
Tomás Ferreira PE 17
1-on-1 Coaching Porto, Portugal 🇵🇹
- ★★★★★
gaining weight was the bit nobody would explain to me. 3 months on the nutrition plan, 5kg up, and the same chest reads completely different at that weight
Felix PE 28
Pectus Nutrition Program Graz, Austria 🇦🇹
- ★★★★★
It works. the suction takes getting used to and i gave myself a bit of skin bruising the first fortnight, until i dropped the pressure back to what the guide actually says. my fault not theirs
Marc-Antoine PE 33
Vacuum Bell Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦
- ★★★★★
honest review. 5 months of consistent bell use and my depth has barely moved. im 35 and my chest wall is stiff, which the guide does warn about upfront. the posture and breathing side genuinely helped and i dont regret the money, but i wouldnt tell someone my age to expect what the teenagers are getting
Nikolai PE 35
Vacuum Bell Guide Sofia, Bulgaria 🇧🇬
- ★★★★★
Wore it 8 hrs a night for 5 months. the ridge is basically gone. im 16 so i got lucky on timing, but you still have to wear it every single night. beat the operation they were lining us up for
Elias PC 16
Pectus Carinatum Brace Bergen, Norway 🇳🇴
- ★★★★★
The wear-schedule chapter is honestly the whole product. everywhere else online just goes "wear a brace" and leaves you to figure out the rest
hamza PC 20
Pectus Carinatum Course Casablanca, Morocco 🇲🇦
- ★★★★★
spent two years hiding the ridge under hoodies before i actually did anything about it. what changed it was the carinatum program - building the chest and back around the ridge instead of just bracing and hoping. six months in and it reads flat enough that the hoodies are gone
Rafael PC 22
PC Exercise Program Cebu, Philippines 🇵🇭
- ★★★★★
He replied to my messages same day, every time. at 17 with a chest you hate, that matters way more than the plan does honestly
Théo PC 17
1-on-1 Coaching Ghent, Belgium 🇧🇪
- ★★★★★
solid guide and the pressure numbers are genuinely useful. half a star off cus im 28 and the whole thing is pitched at teenagers. an adult section, where the timelines are honestly different, wouldve been worth a lot to me
Jonas B. PC 28
Carinatum Brace Guide Aarhus, Denmark 🇩🇰
- logged case
Nine months, 5.7 kg of muscle on, and 0.9 cm off the depth of my chest. I am 32. I had been told the window for fixing this closed at 18.
Liam PE + Rib Flare 32
Seattle, WA 🇺🇸
- logged case
I came in skinny with a deep dip and ribs that flared out. Six months later I am 4.5 kg heavier, and the flare is the part people notice is gone.
Ian PE + Rib Flare 22
Canada 🇨🇦
- logged case
The brace handled the flare, the training filled out the chest. 6 kg on and 0.9 cm less depth in seven months. I wear fitted shirts now.
Alejandro Sanz Torres PE + Rib Flare 29
Bilbao, Spain 🇪🇸
- logged case
Five months, 4 kg up. The dip is still there if I go looking for it, but nobody else finds it anymore.
Lars PE + Rib Flare 25
Sweden 🇸🇪
- logged case
Two months in and I've put on 3.2 kg of muscle. My chest doesn't cave the way it used to when I'm standing relaxed, and that alone was worth it.
Milo PE 25
Germany 🇩🇪
- logged case
I am 52 and carried both a ridge and a dip my whole life. Dropped 9 kg in five months and my chest finally reads as one shape instead of two.
Greg Henderson PC + PE 52
Ohio, USA 🇺🇸
- logged case
Three months, 5 kg on, and the ridge sits lower than it ever has. At 19 I thought surgery was the only thing that would fix it.
Ethan PC 19
North Carolina, USA 🇺🇸
- logged case
Nine kilos in six months. Building the muscle around the ridge did more for how it looks than the years I spent hiding it under loose shirts.
Omar Al Mansoori PC 24
Abu Dhabi, UAE 🇦🇪
- logged case
Four months of coaching and the ridge you could see from the side has flattened out. I stopped checking my profile in every window I walk past.
Beau PC 30
Missouri, USA 🇺🇸
- logged case
My carinatum was the first thing I saw in every photo of myself. Now I have to point it out to people. Same chest, trained differently.
Taras Bondarenko PC 29
Czech Republic 🇨🇿
"Had rib flare since i was a teen. the brace plus the breathing drills changed everything. my waist looks normal in a fitted shirt for the first time in my adult life"
"the breathing protocol alone changed how i feel day to day. didnt realise how shallow i was breathing until i fixed it. the rib flare correction kind of followed on its own"
"the course structure is exactly what i needed. not overwhelming, not vague. each module builds on the last and you always know what to do next"
"what sold me is that every claim links to a study. only place online that treats pectus like an actual training problem instead of selling a miracle"
"I came across your blog about a year ago and I just want to say how much you've changed my life for the better. I thought it was going to be another average article, but the tips you gave were things I hadn't heard of before. Now I've improved so much and im more confident then ever."
"Mihail doesnt sugarcoat anything. told me exactly what to expect and exactly how long it would take. 12 months in and my carinatum is flat. i finally take my shirt off at the beach"
"spent two years researching surgery before i found this. six months in and i wish id found it sooner. the progress photos dont lie"
"Was skeptical, id tried everything before. the custom vacuum bell was different to anything id used. three months of consistent use and i can already see the sternum coming up"
"The carinatum brace is really well made. fits perfect to my chest and i can wear it under a t-shirt at work. results started showing around 4 months"
"direct, no nonsense. mihail knows this condition better than any doctor ive seen. my GP was shocked when i showed him my 9 month comparison photos"
"been watching mihails youtube since 2017. finally bought the program in 2023 and kicked myself for waiting. shouldve trusted him years earlier"
"My son is 15 and was getting self-conscious at the pool. The carinatum brace and the fortnightly check-ins are what kept him consistent. Six months and the ridge has visibly dropped."
Had rib flare since i was a teen. the brace plus the breathing drills changed everything. my waist looks normal in a fitted shirt for the first time in my adult life
Shared with each client's permission.
Did I help you with your pectus?
Share your before & after
Drag each slider to compare. Published only with the client's written consent.
Medically reviewed by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yüksel
Tap any message to read it full size. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & TikTok comments, DMs, WhatsApp and email - real messages from real clients. Names and handles blurred, content untouched.
“Nine months, 5.7 kg of muscle on, and 0.9 cm off the depth of my chest. I am 32. I had been told the window for fixing this closed at 18.”
“I came in skinny with a deep dip and ribs that flared out. Six months later I am 4.5 kg heavier, and the flare is the part people notice is gone.”
“The brace handled the flare, the training filled out the chest. 6 kg on and 0.9 cm less depth in seven months. I wear fitted shirts now.”
“Five months, 4 kg up. The dip is still there if I go looking for it, but nobody else finds it anymore.”
“Two months in and I've put on 3.2 kg of muscle. My chest doesn't cave the way it used to when I'm standing relaxed, and that alone was worth it.”
“I am 52 and carried both a ridge and a dip my whole life. Dropped 9 kg in five months and my chest finally reads as one shape instead of two.”
“Three months, 5 kg on, and the ridge sits lower than it ever has. At 19 I thought surgery was the only thing that would fix it.”
“Nine kilos in six months. Building the muscle around the ridge did more for how it looks than the years I spent hiding it under loose shirts.”
“Four months of coaching and the ridge you could see from the side has flattened out. I stopped checking my profile in every window I walk past.”
“My carinatum was the first thing I saw in every photo of myself. Now I have to point it out to people. Same chest, trained differently.”
What people ask
before they begin.
The four that come up most, answered the same way I would answer them on a call.
Take the 60-second quizHow long before I see a change? +
Posture and breathing shift first - most people feel that inside the first few weeks. Visible chest change is slower. In the case log above, Milo saw his first real change at 2 months, Ian at 6, Liam at 9. The programs run 16 weeks because that is roughly how long it takes for the training to show up in the mirror.
Am I too old for this to work? +
Almost certainly not. The clients documented on this page were 22 to 32 when they started. Cartilage does stiffen with age, so progress is slower the older you are - but slower is not the same as stopped. What changes is the timeline, not whether it is worth doing.
Do I need a gym, or can I do this at home? +
Either works. Every program ships with a gym track and a no-equipment track for the same 16 weeks, so you pick the one that matches what you actually have access to. You can switch between them mid-program without losing your place.
Pectus excavatum, carinatum, rib flare - is it the same plan? +
No, and that matters. A sunken chest and a protruding chest need close to opposite work, and rib flare often rides along with both. There is a separate program for each. If you are not sure which one you have, the 60-second quiz sorts it out and points you at the right starting place.
Common questions.
Is this a substitute for my surgeon's advice? +
No, and it says so on every page. This program organises the breathing, posture, pacing and strengthening around your recovery, but your surgeon and physiotherapist always come first. Where their instructions differ from anything here, follow theirs. It's designed to make you a better-informed patient, not to replace your team.
I've already had my surgery, is it too late to start? +
Not at all. It's ideal to read before your operation, but the bulk of the program is the twelve-week-plus recovery that happens at home. Whatever week you're in, pick up from the matching phase and use everything from there forward.
When can I start lifting again? +
Resistance training usually begins around week six and only on your surgeon's clearance, building to full loading by about three months. The program lays out a phased track that builds deep-core and posterior-chain control first so rib position holds under load, with clear "not yet" lists so you don't push too early.
Will this help with the pain? +
It explains the multimodal approach your team uses and how to get the most from it, staying ahead of pain with scheduled non-opioids, tapering opioids early, splinting a cough, and the breathing that prevents a chest infection. It is education, not a prescription; your pain medication comes from your surgical team.
What format is it in? +
It's a structured, written program you can read on any device, clear chapters and phases with tables and a day-by-day routine, so you can reference exactly what you need mid-recovery without scrubbing through video. Every factual claim links to a numbered reference.
My rib flare was part of a bigger operation, does this still apply? +
Yes, that's exactly who it's written for. Isolated rib flare almost never needs surgery, so when it is operated on it's part of a combined chest-wall repair with hardware (often sternal compression alongside a Nuss bar). The program is built around that combined repair and the rib-down breathing and core work that hold the result.
How is this different from free advice online? +
Free content is scattered, a breathing tip here, a restriction there, none of it sequenced or sourced. This is the whole recovery in order, written for after surgery, with every claim cited. The value is the system and the trustworthiness, not the individual facts.
What's your refund policy? +
30 days, no questions asked. Read the program, use it, and if it isn't what was described, email me for a full refund.
The ribs moved.
Keep them there.
The complete, cited recovery plan for after a chest-wall repair involving rib flare, prehab to full return to sport, built on the rib-down breathing and core that make it permanent.
Get the Program →