World’s Biggest Kidney Stone
It soon became clear how serious a patient’s complains of pain and discomfort were when the world’s largest kidney stone was surgically removed from them by Sri Lankan Army doctors on June 1st at Columbia Army Hospital.
The stone, about the size of a grapefruit, measured in at 13.372 centimetres long and 801 grams heavy, breaking the previous records of 13 centimetres length in India and 620 grams of weights in Pakistan, both of which where confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Kidney stones are an uncommon phenomenon, with about 10% of people experiencing them at some phase in their lives, with studies pointing to increasing frequency. They are solid pieces of crystallized material in the kidney, ureters or bladder, and may be caused by a variety of factors including genetics and environment, but are typically very painful to remove.
Kidney stones that are larger than 3mm
Kidney stones that are larger than 3mm in diameter usually require surgical removal. Small and more common kidney stones are passed out through urination, through the process is not easy or comfortable. The diagnosis through CT scanning is pointed to as one of the causes of increasing rates of kidney stones, but they are the most effective technology to detect and diagnose them.
According to the Mayo Clinic, kidney stones can be prevented for the most part by drinking healthy amounts of water and reducing salty foods to control sodium intake. The patient in Sri Lanka from whom the giant stone was removed is confirmed to be set on the way to recovery.
