An unidentified 65-year-old man underwent surgery in Rabat, Morocco to have a hernia bigger than a football removed. It reached down to the midpoint of his thigh causing him to suffer difficulties with walking, urinating or having sex. Such a case had not been recorded in the medical literature before, said doctors describing his case in the Journal of Medical Reports.


Medics reported the swelling was 30cm in length – longer than a football, which is typically 23cm in diameter.

The man had the growth for more than 12 years but had previously refused surgery to treat it. He finally went for treatment after the growth significantly affected his quality of life causing him difficulties walking and having sex, the man was placed under a general anaesthetic and the operation to remove the huge swelling went smoothly. After six months, doctors were pleased to see the hernia had not returned.