Doctors removed 28 pounds of feces from the bowels of a man who was reportedly constipated since birth.

The unnamed 22-year-old had 30 inches of his grossly enlarged bowel removed by surgeons at Tenth People's Hospital of Shanghai in China.

It is believed the young man had Hirschsprung's disease, which causes the bowels to swell because the nerves that are supposed to control the gut are missing.

Doctors said the man looked like he was nine months pregnant because of the painful enlargement and feces backup.


HIRSCHSPRUNG'S DISEASE

Hirschsprung's disease is a rare condition that causes poo to become stuck in the bowels.

It mainly affects babies and young children.

It means the nerves that control the movement of feces are missing from a section at the end of the bowel, which means poo can build-up and form a blockage.

This can cause severe constipation, and occasionally lead to a serious bowel infection called enterocolitis if it's not identified and treated early on.

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Symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease are usually noticeable from soon after a baby is born, although occasionally they're not obvious until a child is a year or two old.

All children with Hirschsprung's disease will need surgery.