For the vast majority of patients, no — only a small segment of cartilage is removed, and the rib itself, along with surrounding chest wall function, is left intact. Most patients don't notice any lasting change to their breathing or chest movement once they've healed.
The most significant, though still rare, risk during harvesting is a pneumothorax (a small amount of air entering the space around the lung), which published research places at under 1% of cases. This is precisely why rib cartilage harvesting should always be performed by a surgeon with extensive, hands-on experience in this specific step — surgical precision during harvest is what keeps this already-low risk as low as possible.
Consultation Tip
Ask your surgeon how much hands-on experience they specifically have with rib cartilage harvesting — this single step is where precision and experience matter most for minimizing chest-related risks.
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— Dr. Hyung-taek Kim, KOWON Plastic Surgery