Stones removed from man’s liver in Andhra Pradesh

A life-threatening condition involving stones in the liver was successfully treated at KIMS Saveera Hospital in Anantapur.

According to N. Mahammad Shahid, consultant surgical gastroenterologist at the hospital, the patient, a 50-year-old farmer from Tadipatri, had a history of bile duct stones 12 years ago, for which a stent was placed, and a bypass surgery was performed due to thinning of the small intestine.

Recently, he experienced fever and abdominal pain for two months and came to KIMS Saveera for further evaluation. Investigations revealed multiple stones in the liver—an extremely rare occurrence. Stones are typically found in the kidneys or gall bladder, but in this case, the stones had migrated from the bile duct to the liver. Additionally, the small intestine had become significantly narrowed, compounding the patient’s issues.

The doctor said they first removed all the stones from the liver and then treated the narrowed intestine. “The entire surgery lasted six hours. The patient recovered well, and was discharged after 10 days without complications,’’ the doctor said.

If untreated, such conditions can progress to cancer, posing a severe threat to the patient’s life. Liver stones, first identified in Hong Kong in 1930, are predominantly found in East and Southeast Asia, with about 30% prevalence in these regions. Cases are especially common in Taiwan, often linked to parasitic infections, explained Dr. Shahid.