A unique surgery was recently performed at the Kalutara Nagoda Teaching Hospital to remove stones from both kidneys of a person whose kidneys were fused together, which is a rare condition that occurs in only one in 500 people.
This surgery was performed by a team including Dr. Kalana Parana Palliyaguruge, consultant surgeon of the kidney and urogenital surgery unit of the Nagoda Teaching Hospital. It is also significant that the surgery was the 150th kidney stone removal surgery performed by the kidney and urogenital surgery unit of this hospital.
Dr. Palliyaguruge had the following to say about this surgery: “Today is a very special day for the kidney and urogenital surgery unit of the Nagoda Teaching Hospital, Kalutara. We performed the 150th surgery to remove kidney stones today. However, this particular operation was very special. We carried out this surgery to remove stones from a person who had a horseshoe-shaped kidney – that is the two kidneys were fused together at the bottom. We removed stones from both kidneys at one and the same surgery. “Only one in 500 persons has a horseshoe-shaped kidney. Today we performed this surgery on a 38-year-old male who had such a kidney. Another significance of this surgery was that we used state-of-the-art equipment during this operation.
“We already had a powerful laser of 140 watts. We can break up the stones in the kidneys into tiny pieces. We also used a disposable flexible ureteroscopy to remove the stones. This is a device that has not been used in government hospitals up to now to remove kidney stones. We can reach the extremely complex system of tubes in the kidney and all other parts of the kidney, break up the stones into tiny pieces and then take them out via a tube that has been inserted into the kidney.
“Using the laser equipment, we were able to break up the stones present in the kidney into tiny pieces and dust and then remove them from the body. For this, we used a hole the size of a nail of the little finger.
“I would like to convey a very special message at this moment to young people. This surgery was performed on a 38-year-old male. If you have a stone in your kidney, it has to be removed by surgery. Although it is removed through surgery, the stones can occur again. Now, we do not need to carry out a surgery with large cuts to remove kidney stones. We only make a hole the size of the nail of the small finger to do the operation.
Therefore, the patient can resume his normal daily activities after a few days.”
B.T. Thambawita, Matugama Group Corr.