UPUMS claims record after removing ‘world’s largest’ gallstone

Kanpur: The Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences (UPUMS), Saifai, has claimed a major medical achievement after successfully removing what it described as “the world’s largest gallstone” through laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure.According to the university, the gallstone measured 14 cm × 8.3 cm × 4.2 cm and weighed nearly 200 grams. The complex surgery was performed using laparoscopic techniques, enabling the removal of the unusually large stone with minimal surgical intervention. It claimed the stone was larger than a gallstone laparoscopically removed in Trinidad and Tobago, which measured 12.8 cm x 7 cm and weighed 178 grams, as mentioned in a medical journal.According to the hospital, the patient, 62-year-old Raj Laxmi Verma, had been experiencing mild pain in the upper abdomen, particularly in the epigastric and right upper abdominal region, along with persistent digestive discomfort for a prolonged period. Diagnostic investigations revealed an exceptionally large gallstone in her gallbladder. Given its size, the condition would ordinarily have required conventional open surgery. However, Dr Kanhaiya Lal Chaudhary successfully performed the complex procedure using advanced laparoscopic techniques, enabling the stone to be removed through a minimally invasive approach.Speaking to TOI, Dr Kanhaiya Lal Chaudhary, a surgeon in the university’s department of gastro surgery, who, along with his team, operated on the patient, said the gallstone measured 14 cm x 8.3 cm x 4.2 cm and weighed approximately 200 grams.Dr Chaudhary said the patient had a history of intermittent gallbladder pain for the past year, which was aggravated by eating fatty food. “Physical examination revealed mild tenderness in the right upper quadrant and a palpable lump, without any jaundice. Routine lab tests were normal. An abdominal ultrasound showed a large gallbladder with a single, echoic lesion measuring 14 cm × 8 cm, strongly indicating a large single gallstone,” he said.He said gallstones of such size are generally considered suitable for open surgery because of the technical challenges involved in their removal. However, Dr Kanhaiya Lal Chaudhary and his team successfully completed the procedure using a standard four-port laparoscopic technique.According to the medical team, the epigastric working port incision was carefully extended to more than 8 cm to ensure that the specimen could be removed intact, allowing the unusually large gallbladder containing the stone to be safely extracted.The hospital said the surgery was completed in about 70 minutes. The patient recovered without any complications and was discharged a day after the procedure.UPUMS vice-chancellor Dr Ajay Singh congratulated the surgical team for the achievement, saying the successful operation reflects the high standards of healthcare being provided at the hospital.