13-pound tumor removed from man’s face

A man in Slovakia has successfully had a 13-pound tumor removed from his face, according to a video from Reuters.

Ten years ago, Stefan Zoleik developed a rare condition called Madelung disease, which caused fat fibers to grow uncontrollably across his face. The condition produced a tumor which stretched across the lower portion of his face, below his chin and from ear to ear. He said his strange appearance drew constant stares.

“Everybody was turning and looking at me,” Zoleik told Reuters. “It was very unpleasant. It also bothered me all the time when I moved my head.”

Finally, after years of discomfort, Zoleik was able to undergo surgery to remove the growth. After five hours on the operating table, doctors were able to remove the fatty tumor from Zoleik’s face.

“This is amazing, much better than it was before, which was horrible,” Zoleik said of his dramatically improved appearance. “I don’t even feel any pain now.”