Doctors removed a giant bladder stone and warned against delaying treatment.

At the Department of Urological Surgery at Hospital E, doctors recently performed a successful operation on an 86-year-old man, removing an unusually large bladder stone that weighed nearly half a kilogram.

According to Dr. Mai Văn Lực, the patient was admitted to the hospital after experiencing painful urination, difficulty urinating, frequent urination, and lower abdominal pain.

Following clinical examination and diagnostic imaging, doctors discovered an exceptionally large bladder stone occupying a significant portion of the patient's bladder.

After careful evaluation, the medical team decided to perform surgery to remove the stone. The operation proceeded smoothly, and surgeons successfully extracted one giant bladder stone along with several smaller stones. The total weight of the stones reached 420 grams.

"When we brought the stone out of the operating room and placed it on the tray, everyone was amazed. This was not a stone that had formed in just a few months—it was the result of a process that had lasted for many years," Dr. Mai Văn Lực said.

Why Do Bladder Stones Form?

According to specialists, bladder stones usually develop when urine remains in the bladder and cannot be emptied completely. Minerals in the urine gradually crystallize and continue to enlarge over time.

In older adults, the condition is often associated with multiple factors, including bladder dysfunction, benign prostatic enlargement in men, recurrent urinary tract infections, or delaying medical examinations despite having urinary symptoms.

Doctors noted that many elderly patients tend to tolerate the symptoms and only seek medical attention when the condition has become severe.

"Older people often think the symptoms are simply part of aging, so they try to endure them. However, signs such as painful urination, blood in the urine, or prolonged difficulty urinating indicate that the disease may already be progressing," Dr. Lực explained.

Large bladder stones like this can lead to many dangerous complications if not treated promptly. They may cause urinary retention, recurrent urinary tract infections, bladder injury, impaired bladder function, and even affect kidney function.

For elderly patients, delayed treatment also makes surgery and recovery more difficult because many already have underlying medical conditions.

Based on this case, Dr. Mai Văn Lực advised people—especially older adults—to have regular health checkups and never ignore abnormal urinary symptoms.

Urinary tract diseases are generally much easier to treat when detected early, helping patients recover more quickly and reducing the risk of complications. Delaying treatment until a stone grows to a large size may lead to a more complex operation and a longer recovery period.

Experts also emphasized that family members play an important role in caring for elderly relatives. Children should pay attention to changes such as frequent urination, painful urination, blood in the urine, or altered urination habits, and encourage older family members to seek medical attention as soon as possible.