‘Tree Man’ has surgery to remove bark-like warts on his hands

Doctors may have cured this extremely rare genetic condition

Doctors may have finally cured a Bangladeshi man with an extremely rare genetic disorder that causes branch-like warts to grow on his hands, according to The Daily Mail. Abul Bajandar, a 27-year-old former rickshaw driver, is just one of four people in the world—out of 7 billion—to be diagnosed with “epidermodysplasia verruciformis,” and after having at least 16 operations to remove 11 pounds of growths from his hands and feet, he’s hopeful his surgeons have at last rid him of his warts.

When Bajandar first contracted the disease in his small village in Khulna, he initially thought the warts were harmless. But soon they started taking over his hands, feet, and life: The disease rendered him unable to work and even hold his 3-year-old daughter. Doctors began operating on Bajandar over a year ago, and but weren’t able to permanently remove the warts—until now.

“Bajandar’s cure was a remarkable milestone in the history of medical science,” Samanta Lal Sen, plastic surgery coordinator at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told The Daily Mail. “The hands and feet are now almost fine. He will be discharged within [the] next 30 days after a couple of minor surgeries to perfect the shape of his hands.”

No man should ever have to live with having tree branches for fingers. Thankfully, it sounds like Bajandar won’t have to suffer anymore.