SURGEONS REMOVE 3.1KG BLADDER STONE IN SRI LANKA

Surgeons at Trincomalee District General Hospital in Sri Lanka removed a 3.1kg bladder stone from a 55-year-old man last week in what they believe to be the largest such stone ever documented and surgically removed. The stone, measuring approximately 17cm in length and roughly the size of an ostrich egg, weighed as much as a newborn baby. The patient had been admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke but was found to be experiencing difficulty urinating during treatment. Urologist Pragaladhan Balakrishnan, who led the surgery, stated that the patient was in "very good health" and continues to receive treatment at the hospital for his other medical conditions.

Bladder stones form when minerals in urine crystallise into solid lumps, a process that commonly occurs when the bladder does not empty completely. Dr Balakrishnan indicated that the stone would have been present in the patient's bladder for approximately five to ten years. Small stones, sized like grains of sand, can pass on their own, but stones larger than 1cm typically obstruct urine flow and require medical intervention. Stones exceeding 4cm in diameter are classified as giant bladder stones. Hospital director Sandamali Samarakoon suggested the case could potentially qualify for a Guinness World Record.

According to Guinness World Records, the previous largest bladder stone was removed from a patient in Brazil in 2003, weighing 1.9kg and measuring 17.9cm in length. Dr Balakrishnan stated that "according to available records, it is the largest bladder stone ever documented and removed through surgery." The surgical team described the achievement as the result of collective effort following initial examinations and specialist referral.