Abu Dhabi hospital removes 50 bladder stones from patient

Largest stone measured 3.5 centimetres in diameter

Dr Manaf Al Hashimi with Mohammed Sulaiman Abdullah at Burjeel Hospital. Photo: Burjeel Hospital

Medics in Abu Dhabi removed 50 stones from the bladder of a 75-year-old man from Yemen.

Mohammed Sulaiman Abdullah had been in excruciating pain for more than a year.

The father of 12 children — and a grandfather and great-grandfather of 60 — was unable to pass urine and for more than year required a catheter.

Because of limited medical facilities in Yemen, he was unable to receive treatment and his condition worsened. Only after his son brought him to Abu Dhabi in December did he receive the correct diagnosis and treatment.

Doctors at Burjeel Hospital found that Mr Abdullah had an enlarged prostate that obstructed the flow of urine which in turn caused the stones.

Bladder stones are hard masses of minerals in the bladder. They develop when the minerals in concentrated urine crystallise and form stones.

The largest stone in Mr Abdullah's bladder measured 3.5 centimetres.

“The maximum number is usually three or four — never anything even close to 50,” the hospital said.

It took doctors an hour to remove all the stones.

“I never thought that the minor pain would progress to become this complicated condition,” said Mr Abdullah.

“I neglected the pain believing that it was due to old age.”

Dr Manaf Al Hashimi, the consulting urologist, said that Mr Abdullah had long-standing obstructive urinary symptoms because of the enlarged prostate.

“Unfortunately, he did not seek any medical advice or treatment in his home country, Yemen, until the enlarged prostate had blocked the urine passage and resulted in incomplete emptying of urine,” he said.

“By the time he reached Burjeel Hospital seeking help, it had become worse as the catheter was left in for more than two months. Surgery was the only possible option.”

Mr Abdullah has since returned to Yemen.

“Mohammed responded well to the treatment. His recovery was fast, and he was discharged in four days post the surgery,” Dr Al Hashimi said.

“People have to undergo regular check-ups of the prostate to avoid complications such as bladder stones.”