A medical team in eastern Sri Lanka has carried out an extraordinary operation after discovering and removing a bladder stone weighing 3.1 kg (6.8 lb) from a patient. The procedure was performed at a hospital in Trincomalee after the 55-year-old man was admitted for treatment following a stroke. While he was being treated, doctors noticed that the patient was experiencing difficulty urinating. Further examinations revealed stones in his urinary bladder, including one of exceptional size.
During surgery, doctors successfully removed the enormous bladder stone, which weighed 3.1 kilograms and was reported to be roughly the size of an ostrich egg. The stone’s weight was comparable to that of a full-term newborn baby, making the case particularly unusual. Dr Prahalahan Balakrishnan, who led the surgical team, said that based on available medical records, the stone could be the largest bladder stone ever documented and surgically removed. According to Dr Balakrishnan, the stone may have remained and grown inside the patient’s bladder for approximately five to 10 years.
Bladder stones can develop when the bladder is unable to empty completely, allowing minerals in concentrated urine to crystallise and gradually form hard masses. Despite the extraordinary size of the stone, doctors said the patient was in very good health following the operation. He remains in hospital while continuing to receive treatment for other medical conditions.
The Sri Lankan medical team has described the case as potentially record-breaking based on available documentation. However, any formal world-record status would depend on independent verification by the relevant record-keeping authority. The successful surgery represents a remarkable medical achievement for the team in Trincomalee.
