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SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Oct 28, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A man who once weighed more than a half-ton made it through obesity surgery at a South Dakota hospital and was "doing well," his doctor said.
Patrick Deuel, 42, is "doing very well," said Dr. Fred Harris, after a nine-hour operation Tuesday at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Deuel weighed 1,032 pounds when he checked into the hospital last June lost 421 pounds on a 1,200-calorie per day diet. But he wants to lose more than 400 more pounds.
The gastric bypass took only an hour. But then came a surgical procedure to put his innards back in place and to fix a massive hernia, all caused by excess fat.
Although he faces the danger of infection and is in intensive care, he could be up and walking within a few days and start a month-long rehabilitation program of exercise and building up his strength.
Deuel's goal is to weigh 240 pounds, after spending the past seven years housebound and unable to find a diet that worked.
Copyright 2004 by United Press International.