300 stones removed from 75-year-old farmer’s kidney

HYDERABAD:  In a rare and complicated surgery, doctors at the Asian Institute of Nephrology & Urology (AINU), removed 300 stones from the kidney of a 75-year-old farmer.While the formation of stones is a common phenomenon, the presence of stones in such large numbers often poses challenges to nephrologists.

The patient, Ram Reddy, a native of Karimnagar district, had been suffering from severe discomfort in the back and flank region for the past few months. Ultrasound and Computerised Tomography (CT) scans indicated the presence of a massive stone of more than 7 cm in size in the right kidney.

“His advanced age, along with co-morbidities and chronic ailments like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac issues, made the surgery very complicated. However, the team led by Dr Mallikarjuna C, conducted due diligence and took all necessary precautions, and performed a keyhole surgery using advanced LASER technology,” said Dr. Md Taif Bendigeri, Consultant Urologist at AINU.

He added that the burden of 7 mm stones was carried through a keyhole incision of merely 5mm in size.  The large stone consisted of a massive stone load of more than 300 multiple stones. At the end of a technically challenging procedure, all the stones were cleared from the kidney. The patient was diagnosed as normal without any complications and was discharged on the second day after surgery.

The incidence of kidney stones has been increasing with changing dietary patterns and lifestyles among Indians. It is important to note that kidney stones can be totally asymptomatic or have very minimal vague symptoms and damage the kidneys silently. Fortunately, this can be picked up easily with the help of regular kidney health checks periodically. Doctors at AINU have recommended that people drink more water during the upcoming summer months, to reduce the risk of formation of stones in the kidneys.