World's tallest woman to receive surgical treatment in Shanghai

A 2.36-meter-tall Chinese woman, believed by doctors to be the tallest in the world, will undergo surgery for a benign brain tumor.

Yao Defen, 36, from Shucheng County of east China's Anhui Province, was given a medical exam at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital on Thursday.

The hospital has made her a special 2.5-meter-long bed. She weighs 180kilograms, said Ning Guang, deputy head of the hospital.

Ning said the hospital will operate on Yao after a treatment plan is drawn out on the basis of Thursday's medical examination.

By the time Yao was 15 years old she was already 2.05 meters tall. She was diagnosed with the pituitary disorder known as gigantism in a medical check soon after she was selected for basketball training at a provincial sports school.

Her family could not afford medical treatment and she had to join a private circus to earn a living, according to Yao Deqing, one of Yao's brothers.

In 1999, she suffered fainting spells and was sent to hospitals for treatment in Anhui and Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

Previous surgeries did not completely remove the tumor, which has led to a series of medical problems, such as high blood pressure and an enlargement of the bones of the extremities.

Discovery Channel in the United Kingdom is making a documentary about Yao's life. The broadcaster has also set up a fund to help cover her medical bills and support her through her recuperation.

The operation is expected to cost about 100,000 yuan (12,300 U.S. dollars), said Ning, adding the hospital will ask its staff to make donations.

.Source: Xinhua