Woman undergoes 12-hour surgery using pig skin after years of ignored cancer symptoms

Claire Boulton, 47, recently underwent a 12-hour surgery to reconstruct her bowels and vagina using pig skin. This followed a bowel cancer diagnosis on her wedding day in April 2019, after years of dismissed symptoms. The surgery involved removing her bowel, scaffolding her vagina, and re-siting her stoma. Claire had been suffering from severe pain due to excess skin after losing eight stone and hoped the operation would improve her quality of life. Post-surgery, Claire will have no risk of bowel, womb, or ovarian cancer, with only a small chance of stomach cancer. She expressed optimism about her recovery and the potential to enjoy life more fully with her husband, Matthew.