Mumbai doctor removes 1.7kg gall bladder cyst, may have set world record

A Mumbai doctor has likely set a world record for surgically removing world’s largest gall bladder cyst — measuring 36.57 cm and weighing 1.7kg. The existing record is held by Dr Jeevan Kankaria, who removed a 30-cm-long gall bladder cyst from Suman Rao’s stomach on August 10, 2016 at Jaipur.

Dr Imran Shaikh, surgical gastroenterologist and consultant liver transplantation surgeon at Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, performed the surgery last month on Girish Mane, 58, Bhayander resident. The man had a lump in the upper right-side of the abdomen for more than 25 years.

“A sonography done two decades ago did spot minor swelling in his abdomen but the doctors asked him to ignore it as they thought it might not need a surgery. But the swelling kept gradually increasing and caused consistent pain and discomfort in abdomen, digestive complications and he kept taking regular painkillers,” said Shaikh.

The man was referred to Shaikh in June, in excruciating stomach pain. “A CT scan revealed large mass in abdomen but we could not confirm its exact origin. It was however large enough to push kidneys, liver, pancreas and small intestine aside,” said Dr Shaikh.

MRI scan showed it could be a gall bladder mass or a tumour, in the abdomen. The doctors planned a surgery and were shocked to find the swelling to be a large gall bladder mass. It was carefully removed, to ensure minimal chances of a recurrence.

“After measurement it was found that gall bladder had swollen to the size of 1 feet and 2 inches long and had 370 ml of fluid. Weight of mass was 1.7kg. A normal gall bladder is about 6-7cm long and cant old more than 25ml of liquid,” Shaikh added.

The surgery was successful and MAne was recently discharged from the hospital without any other health complications. Doctors said they have started collating radiological and pathological data so that it can be documented in medical literature as world’s largest gall bladder mass removed.