A SORRY TAIL
Lad, 18, finally has seven-inch TAIL removed after spending his life being worshipped as a monkey god in India
'Glad the evil is off my back' said the teenager after surgeons removed the longest ever human tail
THIS teenager has finally had his 18CM TAIL removed after being worshipped as a monkey god.
Neurosurgeons successfully took away the seven inch growth - the longest 'human tail' ever recorded.
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The 18-year-old, who cannot be legally named, was admitted to the government Super Specialty Hospital, in Nagpur, India, on September 29.
The defect was causing him back pains and affecting his everyday life.
Dr Pramod Giri, head of the neurosurgery department, said: “The patient was born with this congenital deformity.
"Though the family knew about this unusual growth, they did not see a doctor due to the social stigma and superstition attached to it.
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"His family and neighbours thought he was an incarnation of Monkey God Hanuman, so they never looked at it as a disease.
"It was only the boy grew up and started facing problems, they got to know that this is a deformity."
'Human tails'
The medical explanation behind the abnormality
According to medical literature, human tail or vestigial tail is a very rare congenital deformity. Since 1884 there have been 23 true vestigial tails reported. They may be associated with other abnormalities. Vestigial tails contain adipose and connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves and are covered by skin. Bone, cartilage, notochord, and spinal cord elements are lacking.
Tails are easily removed surgically without residual effects. Since 29% (7 of 24) of the reported tails have been associated with other malformations, careful clinical evaluation of these patients is recommended, says NCBI.
The 18-cm long human 'tail' is the longest recorded so far, says doctors. The last recorded longest vestigial tail was 7 inch-long.
Dr Giri continued: "Generally, the defect is detected very early as it is present from birth and since it grows with age it cannot remain undetected.
"But the parents as well as the child hid the fact all these years.
"The defect can be surgically corrected within few months of birth. Ideally, the growth should have been removed within five years of age."
Human tails can affect bladder functioning and the lower limbs and legs.
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The teenager was not able to sleep or sit properly.
Dr Divik Mittal, assistant professor at medical college and hospital, said: "As the size of the tail grew over the years, a bone developed inside it that began to press on the boy's back.
"Finally that evil thing is off my back. I can now lead a life like a normal young man."
The boy
A team of six doctors, headed by Dr Giri, operated on the boy in an hour long surgery on Monday.
The teenager, who will be discharged later this week, has spoken of his delight after the surgey.
He said: “I feel liberated now as I am not a Monkey God anymore.
"Now, there won’t be any queue of superstitious people in front of my house.
"I hated being called or likened with the Gods anyway."
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According to the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, there have been six such cases in the country.
In 2014, another Indian teenager was identified with 7-inch human tail in Punjab.
Arshid Ali Khan, 13, was a divine symbol in the state with locals hailing him a reincarnation of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman - and refer to him as Balaji.
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