By Kavita Bajeli-Datt, IANS,
New Delhi : Imagine a kidney the size of a basketball. That’s what doctors at a Delhi hospital discovered after a 48-year-old man came for a medical checkup for hernia.
Ravi Bhatura, a senior sales manager in a private company, had no clue that he was suffering from a stone in his ureter that had led to a swollen kidney, almost 10 times the normal size. The case was a rare one.
“One and a half years ago I came to know that I have hernia. But as I never had any other problem, I never got myself checked. Only at times I used to feel restless and had to use three pillows to sleep,” Bhatura told IANS.
On Feb 1 this year he underwent a medical checkup. “Doctors told me that there was problem with one of my kidneys,” said Bhatura, who lives in West Patel Nagar in west Delhi.
Advanced tests showed there was a big stone in his ureter, which are muscular ducts that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
“Because of the stone urine was getting deposited in my kidney. And because of the urine collection, the kidney had bloated,” he added.
He got admitted to the R.G. Stone Urology and Laparoscopy Hospital in East of Kailash Feb 4 and the next day doctors performed the operation that lasted almost four hours and removed his damaged kidney.
Doctors showed him his removed kidney.
“It was almost the size of a basketball — about 10 times the usual size of the kidney,” said a relieved Bhatura, who has to keep getting himself checked by the doctor for at least six months.
Anshuman Agarwal, senior urologist and consultant at the hospital who conducted the operation, said: “It was a really difficult case because of the enlarged size of the kidney.”
Usually a kidney surgery involves a six-inch cut, “but in this case we made the cut macroscopically”. He said the operation was a bit different as they made small cuts – a total of three holes each with the circumference of a human finger – near the abdomen area. The surgical instruments and apparatus were then passed through these holes.
Agarwal said such surgery is better for the patient than the routine procedure as he has less post- operation pain and recovers fast too. The procedure cost Rs.50,000.
“He is absolutely fine now. As he now has only one kidney, he will have to take care of himself. He will have to constantly control his sugar levels and monitor his blood pressure,” Agarwal added.
“If a person is suffering from stones, he or she should undergo regular checkups and get the stone removed as soon as possible.”
A father of two, Bhatura was discharged three days after the operation and is much relaxed and happy. He is back in office and busy attending one meeting after another.
“I eat what I used to eat before the surgery and my lifestyle is still the same,” he said.
“But I want to tell others that feeling physically fit does not mean you are fit internally. Everyone should go for a full body checkup at least once a year.”
(Kavita Bajeli-Datt can be contacted at [email protected])