Doctors in Sri Lanka have removed a massive 3.1kg (6.8lb) bladder stone from a 55-year-old man, in what they believe could be the largest bladder stone ever recorded.
The unusual procedure was carried out last week at Trincomalee General Hospital in eastern Sri Lanka.
The patient had initially been admitted after suffering a stroke. While receiving treatment, doctors noticed that he was having difficulty urinating and discovered stones in his urinary bladder.
During surgery, doctors successfully removed the giant stone, which weighed roughly as much as a full-term baby and measured 18.7cm in length. It was described as being around the size of an ostrich egg.
Dr Pragalathan Balakrishnan, who led the surgical team, told BBC Sinhala that, based on available records, the stone could be the largest bladder stone ever documented and surgically removed.
He said the patient was in “very good health” following the operation, although he remains in hospital receiving treatment for his other medical conditions.
Dr Balakrishnan estimated that the stone had likely remained in the man’s bladder for between five and 10 years.
Bladder stones form when minerals in urine crystallise and develop into hard masses. They can occur when the bladder fails to empty completely, causing urine to become concentrated and encouraging crystal formation.
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While very small stones can sometimes pass naturally, larger stones may obstruct urine flow and require medical treatment. Stones measuring more than 4cm are generally considered giant bladder stones.
The Guinness World Records previously listed the largest bladder stone as one removed from a patient in Brazil in 2003. That stone weighed 1.9kg (4.2lb) and measured 17.9cm (7in) in length.
The Sri Lankan stone, measuring 18.7cm and weighing 3.1kg, is therefore significantly heavier and slightly longer than the previously recorded example.
