Visakhapatnam, Apr 29: Doctors at AINU Visakhapatnam pulled off a tough feat when they removed 600 grams of giant stone—from the urinary bladder of a 42–year–old man— which include an almost the size of tennis ball, along with several smaller stones. Finally, months of grueling pain and discomfort ended for Mr. G. Raju.
He’d been putting up with it quietly at first. What started as just a slight burning while passing urine slowly grew into something much worse. Over the past few months, things went downhill fast. He felt sharp pain in his lower abdomen and sides, constantly needed to use the bathroom but barely got any relief, found urinating tough, and couldn’t get good sleep because of the endless discomfort. The pain wore him down, not just physically but mentally, throwing his whole life off balance.
Years ago, in 2019, Mr. Raju went through serious kidney stone treatments—including major surgeries—so he never imagined this nightmare would return, especially not in such an intense way. But when things got unbearable, he finally reached out to AINU Visakhapatnam. There, the doctors ran a thorough examination and a CT scan, only to find a jaw-dropping surprise—several large bladder stones, with one huge stone nearly matching the size of a snooker ball. The doctors said stones like this show up slowly, usually because the early warning signs get brushed off, and by the time they’re discovered, they bring severe complications.
With so many stones and one gigantic one, there was no way to handle the case with minimally invasive procedures. Dr. G.Ravindra Varma, Managing Director and Sr Consultant Urologist, Andrologist, Uro-Oncologist, Transplant and Robotic Surgeon led the expert team that decided on open surgery. They opened the bladder carefully, removed all five stones—including the giant one—and then stitched the bladder back up with care. Post-op, they made sure the healing went smoothly. The whole surgery went off without a hitch.
Right after surgery, Mr. Raju felt relief—finally, the symptoms that tortured him for months were gone. His recovery is going well, and he’s on his way to getting his life back. This case is a real eye-opener—ignoring early symptoms really can lead to serious health issues down the line.
Dr. Ravindra Varma made it clear when talking about the case: too often, people shrug off early urinary problems like burning or mild pain, hoping they’ll just go away. But waiting only lets the problem get worse. His advice to everyone? If you feel pain when urinating, notice lower abdominal pain, trouble passing urine, or keep getting urinary infections—see a doctor soon. Catching these things early can spare you bigger problems and even surgery.
Dr. Amit Saple, Executive Director and Senior Consultant Urologist, Andrologist & Transplant Surgeon and Dr. P. Sridhar, Consultant Urologist have participated in the surgery.
This case shows, yet again, just how skilled and dedicated the AINU Visakhapatnam team is with complicated urology cases. More than that, it sends a message—don’t wait or lose hope. Even serious, painful conditions can be treated well if you face them head-on and get help early.
