'Tree man' leaves hospital with warts removed

The Indonesian fisherman who became known around the world as “tree man” has returned home after successful surgery to remove the bark-like growths covering his body.

Dede Koswara has had nearly a stone of warts cut from his face, arms and legs and is now able to live independently for the first time since his teens.

The 37-year-old has been allowed to leave the hospital in West Java where he has nine operations to remove 95 per cent of the growths, known as cutaneous horns.

At a press conference Dede showed off his new ability to grip a pen, a feat that had been made impossible by the foot-long "roots" that previously covered his hands.

His face, which had been dominated by large warts, appeared clear apart from a few blemishes

He will celebrate Ramadan, the Islamic fasting festival, with his family, before returning to the hospital for further surgery to trim his remaining warts.

"He cannot be 100 per cent 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," said Rachmad Dinata, one of the doctors who has treated Dede at the Hasan Sadikin provincial hospital.

"We sent him home so he can gather with his family again, especially ahead of the fasting month. It will mentally help the healing process."

Dede’s plight came to the attention of the world last year after Telegraph.co.uk reported on an American doctor who claimed to have identified his condition, and proposed a treatment that could transform his life.

The tree-like welts covering his body were caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which defects in Dede’s immune system left him unable to fight, according to Dr Anthony Gaspari of the University of Maryland.

After the publicity generated by the article and a television documentary, the Indonesian government intervened to fast-track his treatment.

Dede went under the knife for his first operation in January. When Telegraph.co.uk spoke to him in hospital in March he described the pleasure of being able to walk without pain for the first time in 20 years.

He also expressed his hopes for the future. "What I really want first is to get better and find a job. But then, one day, who knows? I might meet a girl and get married," he said.

Doctors have warned him that the warts may grow back, but his condition is no longer life threatening.

Source: telegraph.co.uk