Astonished surgeons in Turkey have removed a five-and-a-half-stone tumour from a woman’s abdomen in a gruelling, two-hour-long operation.

The unnamed woman, aged 40, had gone to Dr Ismail Fehmi Cumalioglu City Hospital in Tekirdag complaining of swelling, and medics had quickly detected an abnormal mass.

Surgeons Ihsan Gunduz and Yuksel Beyaz cut out the huge growth in a gruelling two-hour operation.

They were flabbergasted when they discovered that the extracted tumour weighed a whopping 35 kilogrammes (5 st 7 lb).

Dr Gunduz told local media: “We encountered a large mass that surprised us. It was a large mass in the abdomen that touched almost every organ, and its exact source was unknown.

“We performed the necessary operation. When the patient came in, she weighed more than 110 kilogrammes (17 st 5 lb). Now she is around 70 kilogrammes (11 st).

“A huge load has been lifted from her. It was a mass that would have affected the patient’s walking, joints, breathing, and even cardiac functions.”+

And Dr Beyaz said: “In my 15 years as a surgeon, this is the first time I have seen such a mass.

“I have not seen such a large mass removed in Turkey. It may be the largest mass in the world. It was a very good operation for the patient.

“Frankly, it was a bit of a challenge for us. But the patient’s well-being made us happy.

“The patient was also shocked after the operation. The patient, who struggled to breathe, began to breathe after the surgery and walk comfortably.”

Curious medics are now examining the outsized tumour for medical research.