It is about time yet another disease set a Guinness World Record, and the great honour of doing so goes to the Sri Lankan military doctors who removed the largest kidney stone ever discovered from a 62-year-old retired soldier.

The stone that was removed from former sergeant Canistus Coonge, according to the Sri Lankan army, weighed 801 grammes (28.25 ounces), which is more than five times the weight of a typical male kidney.

In contrast to the average kidney, which is between 10 and 12 cm long, Coonge’s kidney stone was 13.37cm (5.26 inches) long.

“The removal of the world’s largest and heaviest kidney stone through a major surgery occurred on June 1 at the Colombo Army Hospital,” the military said in a statement.

Coonge disclosed to the local Swarnavahini TV that since 2020, he had been experiencing abdominal pain, despite taking oral medication that did not make any difference.

“I was told to undergo surgery after a recent scan,” he said. “I feel normal now.”

The largest kidney deposit previously recorded, at 620 grammes from a patient in Pakistan in 2008, according to Guinness World Records, was surpassed by the Sri Lankan case, according to the South China Morning Post.

On Wednesday, after Guinness World Records acknowledged the discovery, officials made the announcement.

The fact that the kidney is still functioning normally in spite of the stone is what matters most to us, according to army surgeon K. Sutharshan.

When minerals and salts crystallise in the kidney during the blood filtration process, deposits called stones are created. Additionally, if the stones are too large and become stuck, surgery may be necessary to remove them. Passing the stones can be excruciatingly painful.