A man who had a rare melon-sized tumour removed from his ribs has had his chest rebuilt with concrete.
Three surgeons spent six hours getting the 1.5kg cancerous growth out of Marek Barden, 40.
They also removed six
ribs, the lining of his left lung and part of his diaphragm.
The
medics then replaced his ribs with a 25cm square acrylic cement panel
and used muscle from his shoulder to repair the diaphragm.
The
church worker, of Knowle, Bristol, noticed a lump in his side about a
year ago but ignored it thinking it was from a cycling accident.
But
a scan last August revealed a rare chondrasarcoma cancerous tumour -
and doctors gave him just six months to live without treatment.
Plastic surgeon Paul Wilson, who helped perform the operation five
weeks later, said Marek's tumour was one of the largest his team had
ever seen.
He spent six days in intensive care before being discharged from hospital and amazingly did not need any further treatment.
He said: I consider myself the bionic man because of my concrete panel.
"I went into hospital prepared to die, but I'm a fighter and I'm stubborn.
"I
can feel it and the little lumps and bumps on it. I don't have
sensation on that part of my body at all but I have got used to that
now.
"I was extremely lucky."
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