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A Vietnamese man has survived surgery in which a tumor, that was nearly twice the weight of him, was removed.
The tumor which had been with, Nguyen Duy Hai, since he was a child had caused him to become unable to walk for several years leading up to the surgery.
Hai, 31, of Da Lat City, has Von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis, said Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon, chief executive officer of FV Hospital, according to CNN.
The tumor was removed during the 12-hour procedure and weighed 180 pounds. The tumor is caused by the same disease that led to the large head of Joseph Merrick, the man who inspired the 1980 film, "The Elephant Man," explained Guillon.
In an e-mail to CNN, Guillon explained that the tumor could return but, “we can operate him again, and it won't never reach such a size anymore."
The surgery was considered risky and there was only a 50 percent chance of success. Guillon explained, "First, such a giant tumor has developed its own blood system with huge arteries branched out from the normal vascular system. Therefore, one of the main risks was abundant bleeding."
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Hai now needs to learn how to do things that his body had forgotten which includes using the leg he had never used normally, Guillon added.
The tumor was first discovered when Hai was four years old and had grown to its giant size over the years. Hai had undergone a surgery to amputate his leg when he was 17. But in 2001, the tumor grew back and doctors agreed not to operate on him, according to the hospital.
Dr. McKay McKinnon, a specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery from Chicago, led the team of surgeons.
The cost of the surgery was estimated around $20,000, but the hospital said it will only charge 60 percent of the cost, which will be covered jointly by the Red Cross of Da Lat City and sponsors, as reported by Fox News.
The hospital said it is covering all of the traveling and accommodation costs for McKinnon, who is not charging for performing the surgery.
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