The world’s former fattest man – who tipped the scale at 93 STONE – undergoes life-saving surgery once more as he is still at risk of dying despite losing 500lbs
- Mexican Juan Pedro Franco, 33, was declared the heaviest person alive in 2016
- Health threats including diabetes and organ failure triggered the weight-loss
- Operation to reduce stomach last month lasted an hour and was successful
- Juan said that it is his dream to soon walk again after six years in bed
The world’s heaviest man has had surgery for the second time to save his life.
Juan Pedro Franco from Guadalajara, Mexico was officially named the world’s heaviest man in December 2016, weighing 93st 10lbs, or 1,312 lbs.
In 2017, the 33-year-old had life-changing surgery to remove 75 per cent of his stomach.
Mexican Juan Pedro Franco, 33 was declared the heaviest person alive by the Guinness World Records in 2017
Since undergoing two gastric band operations to save his life Mr Franco has been on a weight-loss programme to save his life
Mr Franco has since been living on a strict diet and he has lost 35st (496 lbs) – but his weight is still putting him at extreme risk of cardiac arrest.
His second operation was to reduce his stomach even further, to create a pouch smaller than an egg.
The pouch bypasses his lower stomach and connects to his small intestines. Mr Franco’s operation on 22 November lasted an hour and was successful.
Ahead of the surgery Mr Franco said he was desperate to walk again after six years in bed.
He said: ‘The most important thing for me is to walk again. I haven’t left the house for six years or even walked anywhere.’
Growing up, Mr Franco was always overweight but a bus accident in his late teens left him in a coma and bed bound.
Mr Franco’s specially strengthened bed had to be dismantled and set up again for him in hospital, as he was too heavy for a normal bed
A journey to the hospital for pre-surgery checks was the first time the keen baker had left the house in six months
Mr Franco has been obese all of his life, but he got even bigger following a car crash at 17
Mr Franco has been living on a strict diet and he has lost 35st (496 lbs) – but his weight is still putting him at extreme risk of cardiac arrest
Mr Franco said: ‘I broke half my body. I broke all of my right side ribs, leg, everything.’
Over the last couple of years, Juan’s weightloss progress has been monitored by bariatric surgeon, Dr Jose Castaneda Cruz.
Dr Castaneda said: ‘Death in these patients is likely if they don’t get treated we have to risk it because it’s a life opportunity for the patient.’
A journey to the hospital for pre-surgery checks was the first time the keen baker had left the house in six months.
Mr Franco’s specially strengthened bed had to be dismantled and set up again for him in hospital, as he was too heavy for a normal bed.
Mr Franco said: ‘It’s a really big achievement for me to get up take two, three steps. But I’m very happy you can see I’m already starting to move.
Mr Franco needs to lose weight over the next year. But he looks forward to the day when he’ll be recognised for achieving another world record.
He said: ‘If one day I gain the title ‘the man who lost the most weight’ then I will celebrate.’
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Franco, who once tipped the scales at 1302lbs, prepares for life-changing surgery
Since he started losing weight, he has shed 551lbs which is the equivalent of a silverback gorilla
Franco first made headlines in November 2016 when he was admitted to the clinic after making the trip via a specially-adapted van to the western city of Guadalajara, Jalisco