Doctors at Indian Spinal Injuries Center remove 16 stones weighing 500 gms from paralyzed man's bladder

Dr Prashant Jain further said that luckily the patient had no stones in the kidney and his kidney functions were also good. "There are two ways of removing the stones from a bladder, but it was a small capacity bladder, not very big capacity. At the same time, there was infection and stones. So, we counselled the patient and then decided to remove the stones in one go only by open cystolithotomy procedure," he stated.

"The procedure was done in OT under general anaesthesia. The patient did very well after the surgery. We removed the stones through a small hole in the bladder which was made in the suprapubic area. All stones were removed in one and then the bladder and wound were repaired. The patient is on to complete recovery now," he further stated. According to Dr Prashant Jain consultant of Urology & andrology, neurogenic bladders are more prone to small capacity bladder infections and bladder stones. The problem is common in most paraplegic patients as their bladder is not naturally working, he said.

The bladder works as a storage unit in the body and at the same time as an evacuating organ for the urine. "In case of paraplegic patients who have neurogenic bladder, they store the urine but do not empty it. So, the sediment of the urine keeps collecting inside the bladder and with the flow of urine, that sediment keeps churning and ultimately it forms solid stones in the bladder. So, infections of bladder and bladder stones and other infections are more common in the neurogenic bladder," he said.

Neurogenic bladder is a term applied to urinary bladder malfunction due to neurologic dysfunction emanating from internal or external trauma, disease, or injury.  

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