Publications
His bulging 60cm biceps may make Chris Hemsworth look scrawny but they’ve turned his life into a misery.
Kirill Tereshin, a soldier-turned-MMA fighter, has been dubbed the Russian Popeye because of his over-inflated arms. Now, however, he’s desperate to get his biceps and triceps back to normal size after doing something he deeply regrets: injecting himself with several litres of Synthol, a brand of petroleum jelly, to make his arms bigger.
The Synthol blocked the flow of blood to the tissue in his arm, causing the tissue to slowly start dying and scar tissue to form.
Kirill (25) has had two ops so far to try to remove the petroleum jelly and dead tissue. Both surgeries were delayed because of the pandemic and by the time he finally went under the knife, the damage was extensive.
“The risk of complications in this case is very high, but inaction will not help the patient,” said Dr Dmitry Melnikov, who's been treating the Rusian 'Popeye' since the start of his troubles. “A toxic substance in the body long term can complicate the kidneys and lead to death.”
Now, a third procedure on his limbs has been scheduled, after undergoing a CT scan with specialists in Russia.
The scar tissue, his surgeon says, “is as hard as wood. You’ll even hear a strange sound if you rap your knuckles against his arms”.
Petroleum jelly, which is only meant to be applied to the skin and not injected or swallowed, can remain in the body for years. If it’s not all removed, Kirill and his "hands of the bazooka", could also be at the risk of paralysis or a stroke because of the blocked blood flow.
“I bulked up my arms when I was 20, due to my own stupidity. I did not think about the consequences,” he told the Russian media.
He now struggles to carry out everyday activities because his arms are so huge.
READ MORE| Cheers for one-legged weightlifter as she wins big at major international tournament
"Soon I will have a very complicated, hard third surgery. I don't know how it'll end up," he told his 300 000 followers on Instagram.
Alana Mamaeva, a campaigner against cosmetic surgery abuse, convinced Kirill to have the potentially life-saving operations after she read about him online.
The Russian MMA fighter said he was “very lucky” to find renowned Russian surgeon Dr Dmitry Melnikov to treat him.
"Petroleum jelly saturates the muscles, under skin tissues and the skin itself. All that has to be removed, but we need to keep the vein, nerves and other functions of the limb," said Dr Dmitry.
Kirill now prepares for his third surgery on his 'bazooka hands'.
“God forbid something happens to this nerve and I cannot move my arm. I really worry about this; I’m very afraid. I should’ve thought about this earlier, I know. I blame myself. I know I’m guilty.”
SOURCES: LADBIBLE.COM; NYPOST.COM; DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
