The Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences (UPUMS), Saifai, has announced a significant medical achievement: the successful removal of what it claims to be the world's largest gallstone using laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive technique. The gallstone measured 14 cm in length, 8.3 cm in width, and 4.2 cm in height, weighing approximately 200 grams.
Procedure Details
The complex surgery was performed using advanced laparoscopic techniques, allowing the removal of the unusually large stone with minimal surgical intervention. The university stated that this gallstone surpassed a previously recorded one in Trinidad and Tobago, which measured 12.8 cm by 7 cm and weighed 178 grams, as documented in a medical journal.
Patient Background
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 an extended period. Diagnostic investigations, including an abdominal ultrasound, revealed an exceptionally large gallstone in her gallbladder. Normally, such a condition would require conventional open surgery, but Dr. Kanhaiya Lal Chaudhary successfully performed the procedure using a standard four-port laparoscopic technique.
Dr. Chaudhary, a surgeon in the university's department of gastro surgery, explained that the patient had a history of intermittent gallbladder pain for the past year, aggravated by eating fatty foods. Physical examination showed mild tenderness in the right upper quadrant and a palpable lump, without jaundice. Routine lab tests were normal. The ultrasound indicated a large gallbladder with a single echoic lesion measuring 14 cm by 8 cm, strongly suggesting a large single gallstone.
Surgical Approach
Gallstones of such size are typically considered suitable for open surgery due to technical challenges. However, Dr. Chaudhary and his team successfully completed the procedure using laparoscopic techniques. The epigastric working port incision was carefully extended to more than 8 cm to allow the intact removal of the specimen, enabling the safe extraction of the unusually large gallbladder containing the stone.
The surgery was completed in approximately 70 minutes. The patient recovered without any complications and was discharged a day after the procedure.
Recognition
UPUMS Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ajay Singh congratulated the surgical team for this achievement, stating that the successful operation reflects the high standards of healthcare provided at the hospital.
