The Indonesian dubbed the ‘Tree Man’ because of gnarled, bark-like growths on his body has returned from hospital after six kilograms of warts were surgically removed.

Dede shows off his new, largely tree-free appearance Dede (who, like many Indonesians, goes by just one name) first noticed the warts on his body after cutting his knee as a teenager.

Over time, he was sacked from his job, deserted by his wife and shunned by neighbours as the horn-like extensions grew to cover most of his body.

Dede, when he still looked like a tree

One of Dede’s doctors, Rachmad Dinata, said the hospital had allowed the 37-year-old man to enjoy the Islamic fasting month with his family now that 95 percent of the warts had been removed after nine operations. The fasting month begins on September 1.

‘He cannot be 100 percent cured, but his life quality has improved. If once he depended on others to do his activities, now he can eat by himself, use his hand to write, use the cell phone,’ Dinata said.

The doctor said the warts on Dede’s body, which an American doctor said were a result of severe Human Papilloma Virus infection, might re-grow. But the disease is not life-threatening anymore.

Dede was operated on at the Hasan Sadikin provincial hospital in Bandung in West Java, where he was admitted nine months ago with a lung infection as a result of the warts.

Source: Metro.co.uk