Image caption A previous operation failed to stop the dramatic growth of the tumour

A Vietnamese man is in a stable condition in hospital after doctors removed a giant tumour which weighed far more than the rest of his body.

Nguyen Duy Hai's 90kg (198lb) tumour, which was growing on his right leg, was removed in a complex 12-hour operation.

The lead doctor, an American, waived his fee and other costs were funded through donations, the hospital said.

Family members burst into tears of happiness when they discovered he had survived, reported VietNamNet.

Mr Hai, who is believed to be 31, has been living with the tumour - which is non-cancerous and linked to a rare genetic disorder - since he was four years old, reported AFP news agency.

Part of his leg was amputated when he was 17 in an attempt to stem the growth of the tumour, reports said, but without success.

The tumour prevented Mr Hai walking and also hampered sleep.

This latest operation was carried out on Thursday at the France-Vietnam (FV) hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and led by US Dr McKay McKinnon, who previously successfully removed an 80kg tumour from a Romanian woman, AFP reported.

Family members and friends left their home in the mountainous central area of Da Lat to go to Ho Chi Minh city, where they prayed for Mr Hai and wept tears of joy once they learned he had survived, VietNamNet said.