Real-life 'tree man' with 'roots' growing out of his hands gets warts removed
A FATHER dubbed the 'tree man' because of the bark-like warts growing out of his hands and feet has had an operation to remove some growths.
Mr Bajandar is one of the only people in the world with the virus
Abul Bajandar from Bangladesh has an extremely rare skin disease, which makes his hands look like tree roots.
He had tree-like branches growing out from all over his fingers, palms and feet.
The 26-year-old has now had life-changing surgery after he underwent a successful three and a half hour operation on his right hand.
The 26-year-old had life saving surgery
I want to live like a normal person. I just want to be able to hold my daughter properly and hug her. It would be nice to eat with my own hands as well
The procedure on February 20 at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital removed warts from all the fingers on his right hand.
Mr Bajandar is thought to be the fourth man in the world with the tree man illness, which is a rare skin disorder caused by the human papillomaviruses virus.
He has had the virus since he was ten and the growth weighed 11lbs at the time of his surgery.
All HPV infections can cause warts and around 30 types of the infection can affect the genital area.
He had tree-like branches growing from his hands and feet
Before the operation, the elated man said: "I don't think I can sleep tonight. For a poor fellow like me from a remote part of the country, this is too good to be true."
His unusual roots mean that he is not able to eat, drink, brush his teeth or take a shower.
He added: "I want to live like a normal person. I just want to be able to hold my daughter properly and hug her. It would be nice to eat with my own hands as well."
The complex operation entailed doctors removing the warts using a laser, burning the dead tissue, layer by layer and the main challenge was not to destroy any major nerves.
Facility director at the hospital Samanta Lal Sen said: "It was a successful operation. We removed warts from all five fingers of his right hand. He's now happy and was laughing."
The Bangladesh government agreed to pay for his treatment, which involved nine doctors.
The young man will be able to brush his teeth following the operation