A 44-year-old man in China has had eight gallstones removed from his gallbladder through minimally invasive surgery, with one of them astonishing doctors by looking remarkably like a tiny hanging persimmon.
The unusual case involved a patient surnamed Liu from Liping County, Guizhou, who had been suffering from recurring upper abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with gallstones at a local hospital and was advised to undergo surgery.
However, Liu wanted to preserve his gallbladder and was reluctant to have it removed. He eventually travelled to Guiyang Stone Disease Hospital, where a surgical team led by Professor Qin Xinglu successfully performed the minimally invasive procedure.
The team removed eight stones from his gallbladder. One of them had a small protrusion at the top that made it look strikingly similar to a dried hanging persimmon — even appearing to have a tiny “cap” resembling the fruit’s stem.
The unusual shape left medical staff amazed, with images of the stone showing an uncanny resemblance to the traditional dried fruit.
Doctors said Liu’s lifestyle may have contributed to his gallstones. His job often required him to work overtime, and after finishing work, he would frequently relax by having barbecue or grilled meat at nearby restaurants — sometimes three or four times a week.
Professor Qin said Liu’s blood lipid levels were around six times higher than the normal range, indicating significant disruption to his cholesterol metabolism.
“Eating too much high-fat food makes the cholesterol in bile increasingly concentrated. Crystals then continuously precipitate and settle, gradually ‘feeding’ the formation of stones,” Qin said.
Qin noted that gallstones are becoming increasingly common in China, with lifestyle habits believed to be an important contributing factor. Skipping breakfast, frequently eating high-fat, high-oil and high-sugar foods, consuming milk tea and sugary drinks, and getting too little exercise can all increase the risk.
He advised people to maintain regular meals, avoid overeating and prolonged fasting, limit foods high in fat and cholesterol, eat more vegetables and fruit rich in vitamins and dietary fibre, exercise moderately and maintain a healthy weight.
For people who have already been diagnosed with gallstones, Qin urged them to seek medical assessment early and determine whether the gallbladder can still be preserved and function properly.
