Surgeons in Sri Lanka have removed an ostrich egg-sized bladder stone from a man in what they believe to be one of the largest such object ever recorded.
A group of doctors at the Trincomalee District General Hospital last week removed the bladder stone weighing 3.1kg from the 55-year-old patient while he was undergoing treatment following a stroke.
The patient was reportedly admitted to the hospital about a month ago; however, during treatment, the doctors noticed the man was experiencing difficulty urinating, which led to further investigation.
Urologist Pragaladhan Balakrishnan, who led the surgery, said that the bladder stone weighed as much as a newborn baby and was as big as an ostrich egg. He said that the patient was in "very good health" and continued to receive treatment at the hospital for his other medical conditions.
"This achievement is the result of a collective team effort. Initial examinations revealed that the patient had a massive bladder stone. The case was subsequently referred to our specialist team. Following all necessary surgical procedures, we successfully removed the stone from the patient's bladder," Dr Balakrishnan was quoted as saying by News1st.
A massive bladder stone was removed from a patient, 55, in Sri Lanka (Newsfirst English/ YouTube)
He added: "According to available records, it is the largest bladder stone ever documented and removed through surgery."
Hospital director Sandamali Samarakoon said that the stone could potentially qualify for a Guinness World Record as the largest bladder stone removed through surgery, according to reports. The largest bladder stone recorded by Guinness World Records was removed from a patient in Brazil in 2003, which weighed 1.9kg and measured 17.9cm.
Bladder stones develop when urine stays in the bladder, allowing minerals to crystallise and build into a stone. Common causes include enlarged prostate, urinary blockage, nerve-related bladder dysfunction, recurrent infections, and long-term catheter use.
Small bladder stones can pass on their own, but those larger than 1cm can obstruct urine flow and require treatment, while stones over 4cm are classified as giant bladder stones.
The stone removed last week measured around 17cm.
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