TRINCOMALEE: Doctors in Sri Lanka have removed a 3.1-kilogram bladder stone from a 55-year-old patient in a rare medical case that could potentially represent a new record.
The operation was carried out at Trincomalee General Hospital last week.
The patient had initially been admitted after suffering a stroke. During his treatment, doctors discovered a large bladder stone after he developed difficulty urinating.
Stone measured 17 centimetres
Doctors surgically removed the stone, which weighed approximately 3.1 kilograms and measured around 17 centimetres in length. Its size was reportedly comparable to an ostrich egg.
The surgical team was led by Dr Prahalahan Balakrishnan, who said available records indicated that the stone could be the largest bladder stone removed during surgery.
The patient’s condition has reportedly improved, although he remains in hospital for treatment of other medical issues.
Stone may have remained for up to 10 years
Doctors believe the stone had been present in the patient’s bladder for between five and 10 years.
Bladder stones can form when minerals in concentrated urine crystallise and gradually harden. One contributing factor can be incomplete emptying of the bladder, which allows urine to remain and encourages crystal formation.
Small stones may sometimes pass naturally through urination, while larger stones can interfere with urine flow and require medical treatment.
Could it be a new record?
According to Guinness World Records, the largest bladder stone previously listed was removed from a patient in Brazil in 2003. It weighed 1.9 kilograms and measured 17.9 centimetres in length.
The stone removed in Sri Lanka reportedly weighs significantly more, but a new world record would require formal verification by Guinness World Records.
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