Kidney stones are known for being notoriously painful and some women even report that passing a kidney stone is worse than childbirth. As their name suggests, kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salt that form inside of a person’s kidneys. They are fairly common and typically can be passed through the urinary tract without any problem.
However, many people have kidney stones that are too big to pass naturally and they need to be broken up or removed through surgery. On average these kidney stones that can’t be passed naturally are only a few millimeters in diameter, but all of the kidney stones on this list dwarf those stones by several centimeters. The largest stone ever removed is over half a foot in diameter!
-
Peter Baulman
Weight of Kidney Stone: 356 g (12.5 oz)
Country of Origin: Southport, Queensland, Australia
Date Removed: December 2003
Source: amazing-records.blogspot.com
There isn’t too much information about Peter Baulman’s large kidney stone, but it was the previous Guinness World Record holder for heaviest kidney stone before it was beaten in 2004 by Vilas Ghuge’s kidney stone. Baulman, who is from Australia, had his kidney stone removed at the Gold Coast Hospital in Southport, Queensland in late 2003.
Baulman’s kidney stone was 4.66 inches (11.86 centimeters) in diameter at its widest point and weighed 356 grams (12.5 ounces). The kidney stone was surgically removed in one piece.
Did You Know?
Baulman’s massive kidney stone was removed from his right kidney.
-
Vilas Ghuge
Weight of Kidney Stone: Unspecified
Country of Origin: Mumbai, India
Date Removed: February 18, 2004
Source: thehindu.com
In 2004, a cop from Mumbai, India named Vilas Ghuge set an unfortunate world record when he had what a large kidney stone removed. Ghuge’s kidney stone was 5.11 inches (13 centimeters) at its widest point. After applying to Guinness World Records, Ghuge and his surgeon, Dr. Hemendra Shah (India) at R. G. Stone Urological Research Institute, were officially added to the record books in 2005.
Since the kidney stone was so large, Ghuge’s surgery took four hours to perform. Ghuge’s kidney stone was broken up into smaller pieces using a laser and a minimal invasive technique.
Did You Know?
Due to fear of surgery, Ghuge waited 18 years to have his kidney stone removed! Ghuge finally sought proper medical help when the pain from the kidney stone became too unbearable.
-
Sandor Sarkadi
Weight of Kidney Stone: 2.48 lbs (1.12 kg)
Country of Origin: Debrecen, Budapest
Date Removed: early 2009
Source: The Daily Mail
While Sandor Sarkadi’s kidney stone may not be the official world record holder, it is technically the largest kidney stone removed in one piece. Sarkadi’s stone weighed a whopping 2.48 pounds (1.12 kilograms) and was 6.7 inches (17 centimeters) in diameter.
Unlike the world record holder for the largest kidney stone, Sarkadi had his stone surgical cut out, so it remained in one giant piece. Despite its large size, doctors were able to remove Sarkadi’s kidney stone without any complications.
Did You Know?
According to various news reports, Sarkadi’s kidney stone was comparable in size to a coconut.