A surgical team at Trincomalee General Hospital in Sri Lanka successfully removed a giant bladder stone weighing 3.1 kilograms from a patient. The stone was as large and heavy as a newborn baby and is believed to be the largest bladder stone ever recorded worldwide.
Surgeons from Trincomalee General Hospital, located in eastern Sri Lanka, successfully operated to remove an unusually large bladder stone weighing 3.1 kilograms from a patient. According to available data, this stone may be the largest ever documented and surgically removed.
The surgery took place last week, led by urologist Dr. Pragalathan Balakrishnan.
The patient, a 55-year-old man, was admitted for stroke treatment. During his care, doctors noticed urinary problems and further examination revealed a massive bladder stone.
During surgery, doctors successfully removed a stone weighing about 3.1 kilograms, nearly equal to the weight of a full-term newborn, and roughly the size of an ostrich egg, measuring approximately 17 centimeters in length.
Dr. Balakrishnan stated that based on current information, this is likely the largest bladder stone ever recorded and surgically extracted. He said the patient is recovering well post-operation and remains hospitalized for treatment of other conditions, with discharge expected within days.
Medical staff estimate that the large stone had accumulated in the patient’s bladder over approximately 5 to 10 years.
Bladder stones form when minerals in urine crystallize and clump together into a solid mass, usually due to incomplete bladder emptying, which causes concentrated urine to remain and promotes crystallization.
Very small stones, about the size of sand grains, can pass naturally, but stones larger than 1 centimeter may block urine flow and require medical treatment. Stones larger than 4 centimeters are classified as giant stones.
Previously, the Guinness World Record for the largest bladder stone was held by a 1.9-kilogram stone removed from a patient in Brazil in 2003, measuring 17.9 centimeters in length.
If verified, the Sri Lankan surgical team's stone, weighing 3.1 kilograms and measuring about 17 centimeters, would surpass the previous record by nearly 1.6 times in weight.
Trincomalee General Hospital stated this achievement reflects the expertise of their medical, surgical, and support staff, as well as the capability of Sri Lanka’s healthcare system to manage complex medical cases.