World's former heaviest man preparing for skin removal op in USA after NHS refused surgery
A man who was once the world's heaviest is going under the knife in the US to remove excess skin after failing to get the op done on the NHS. Once tipping the scales at 70 stone, Mr Mason, from Ipswich, Suffolk managed to shed a mind-boggling 46 stone after gastric bypass surgery five years ago. But he was left with a constant reminder of the man he once was, with around seven stone of excess skin around his stomach, arms and legs. The 54-year-old tried to get the surgery done free on the NHS but failed after bosses said he needed to prove he could maintain the weight loss. Speaking after the set-back in 2012 the former postman said: "The loose skin is having a horrible effect on my life. "I can't make any more progress if they don't do these operations." Now he is preparing to go under the knife in America after plastic surgeon Dr Jennifer Capla, from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, offered to do the procedure for free. Ms Capla said: "I remember seeing an image of him, wheelchair-bound, he couldn't walk. "To me it was so sad that he had gone through this whole journey and come full circle, and he couldn't even do basic things and no-one would help him." After a tough few months of waiting for his health visa to be granted, Mr Mason flew to Orange, near Boston in September to live with his fiance, Rebecca Mountain. The surgery is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, and Ms Capla will be helped by a large team of doctors, including two surgeons from other states. |
