The removal of the world’s largest kidney stone from a patient in Sri Lanka has set a new record. The stone is about the size of a grapefruit, as long as a banana, and as heavy as four hamsters.
Measuring 13.372 centimeters (5.26 inches) in length and weighing 801 grams (1.76 lbs), the kidney stone broke two world records when it was removed by Sri Lankan Army doctors on June 1, as confirmed by the Guinness World Records.
Previously, the records stood at 13 centimeters for length, set in India in 2004, and 620 grams for weight, set in Pakistan in 2008, according to the Guinness World Records.
Guinness World Records has confirmed that both records have been broken by the Sri Lankan stone, removed at the Colombo Army Hospital.
Kidney stones form from solid pieces of material that crystallize in the kidney, ureters, or bladder, influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
The Mayo Clinic advises that drinking as much as 2 to 3 quarts (1.89 to 2.8 liters) of water per day can help flush out small stones – those with a diameter of less than 3 millimeters (0.11 inches) – from the urinary system.
