London, Feb 21 (IANS): A Slovakian man with a neck tumour weighing nearly six kg has found his life to have brightened again when surgeons removed the tumour, 10 years after it started growing.

Stefan Zoleik, from the Slovakian city of Martin, became a social recluse as the fatty lump grew from ear to ear and doctors were unable to conduct an operation because of health complications, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

However, in June last year, the 47-year-old underwent a five-hour surgery to have his tumour removed.

Doctors are now hoping that additional surgery will get rid of all the affected cells.

The former plumber suffers from a rare condition called Madelung disease, that causes tumours to grow around the neck, shoulders and upper arms.

It usually affects men between 30 and 70 years of age and can lead to a loss of neck mobility and pain. The growths can also become cancerous in rare circumstances. Their exact cause is, however, unknown.

Zoleik's problems started in his early 20s when he noticed that he was developing a large jaw.

“Since the surgery last year, my life has changed incredibly. I don't know why it wasn't possible for it to be done earlier, but I'm just grateful that it has been done now,” he was quoted as saying.

“I'll finally be able to go for a beer with friends without people turning their heads and pointing at me,” said a relieved Zoleik, a husband and a father of two.

“My family were really surprised how well I looked when they came to visit me in the hospital after the operation.

“Over everything else, it was my family who helped me the most. They supported me both before and after the surgery, and are my rock that also gave me the strength to recover,” Zoleik said.

His family members said that although they were used to his appearance, they were happy that he had managed to gain a face that he could show the public.

Igor Homola, a plastic surgeon from the Martin University Hospital in Slovakia said that despite the initial operation changing Zoleik's life, they still have to do a corrective surgery.

He said: “Even after surgery there will be cells that have kept on growing and we now need to operate to remove those to fix it.”