A man who is thought to have the largest hernia of its kind in the world, weighing in at five stone, is facing the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Dean Carron, who is gradually losing the ability to walk, has been told by surgeons they can no longer operate on him.
Mr Carron, a former body guard, developed a large incisional hernia due to complications during a routine appendix operation in 2010, which resulted in doctors fighting for seven hours to save his life.
After losing the seven stone he was told he needed to before surgeons could remove the hernia, doctors have now said there is nothing they can do, leaving Mr Carron, from Mansfield, desperately seeking answers.
Mr Carron, who endures cruel remarks from strangers and even does his shopping at 2am to avoid people, is looking into treatment abroad but cannot afford the estimated £30,000 procedure.
Dean Carron is thought to have the largest hernia of its kind in the world, weighing five stone
He is facing the rest of his life in a wheelchair as he is gradually losing the ability to walk
He developed a large incisional hernia due to complications during routine appendix surgery
WHAT IS AN INCISIONAL HERNIA?
An incisional hernia occurs through a previously made cut in the abdominal wall, such as a scar from a previous operation or Caesarean section.
Hernias are defined as an internal part of the body pushing through a weakness in a muscle or tissue wall.
Incisional hernias occur when a closure from a past procedure comes apart or fails to heal properly.
In the UK, around 12-to-15 per cent of abdominal operations lead to an incisional hernia.
Between 10 and 12 per cent of people are thought to be affected in the US after such procedures.
Pictured: a large incisional hernia
As with all hernias, they can be dangerous if the contents of the hernia, for example the intestine, becomes trapped and loses its blood supply.
If left, incisional hernias will inevitably enlarge, and become more uncomfortable and unsightly.
Treatment usually involves open or keyhole surgery, however, between 50 and 60 per cent of these repairs fail within two years.
Old cuts can be reopened, however, this increases the risk of infection.
Non-surgical options include wearing a corset or belt.
Source: The British Hernia Centre
‘People say nasty things’
Mr Carron, who claims the procedure left him with with ‘a massive hole in my side, which took six months to heal up’, has struggled to accept his appearance.
He told the local Mansfield and Ashfield newspaper Chad: ‘It’s horrible, walking around with it, as people say nasty things as you are walking past.’
As well as affecting his confidence, the hernia has also reduced Mr Carron’s back and leg strength, which has left him unable to exercise and lose any more weight.
Social services are trying to organise for Mr Carron to move into a bungalow.
‘If I had it sorted out when it happened I would be okay’
Mr Carron has suffered with his hernia since having the intended 90-minute appendix procedure at King’s Mill Hospital.
Two weeks ago, he had a CT scan at Derby Royal hospital where he was told his hernia is too large and complicated to operate on.
Mr Carron said: ‘What annoys me is that if I had had it sorted out when it happened I would be okay now.’
Mr Carron was told he needed to lose seven stone before surgeons could operate again
After losing the weight, doctors now say his hernia is too large and complicated for surgery
Mr Carron is looking into treatment abroad but cannot afford the £30,000 procedure