World's largest kidney stone weighing as much as five baseballs removed from man in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Surgeons in Sri Lanka removed the heaviest and largest kidney stone on record, measuring 5.26 inches in length and 4.15 inches in width, weighing 1.76 pounds, from a 62-year-old patient, according to Guinness World Records.

Canistus Coonghe, a 62-year-old retired soldier, had the largest kidney stone and the heaviest. The stone was, in fact, reported to be larger than Coonghe’s actual kidney, which has a bipolar length of 11.8cm (4.6 in).

Coonghe’s record-breaking kidney stone was in his right kidney and was identified by the urological team at Army Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

It broke the previous size record in 2004 when a 5.11-inch stone was removed from a man's kidney in India. It also beat the previous weight record of 1.36 pounds, set in 2008 by a man in Pakistan. Coonghe’s kidney stone weighed 1.76 pounds, the same as five baseballs. Previously, the record was 1.36 pounds, set in 2008 by Wazir Muhammad in Pakistan.

The previous record had not been surpassed since 2004 when a 13 cm (5.11 in) kidney stone was surgically removed from an Indian man named Vilas Ghuge.

Dr Kugadas Sutharshan performed an open pyelolithotomy on 1 June in Coonghe, whereby the stone was removed surgically through an incision in his kidney's pelvis.

According to the doctors, Coonghe’s kidney was functioning normally despite the blockage. His liver, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen were described by Dr Sutharshan as “normal” in size, although Coonghe’s prostate was enlarged.

He is now reportedly recovering well.

Kidney stones form when highly concentrated urine passes through the kidneys, which can cause chemicals dissolved in the urine to crystallize, forming one or more stones. Usually, they are the size of a small pebble but can come in much bigger sizes.

Kidney stones can cause acute pain, and although smaller ones can be passed through urination, larger ones require surgery for their removal.