News

200 stones found in woman who regularly skipped breakfast

Picture:
Picture:
Getty Images/ Hezou Guangji Hospital

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it can be very easy to skip.

Hectic morning schedules and a lack of time, mean that odd bowl of cereal or slice of toast are sometimes forgotten about.

Although we don't condone missing breakfast a recent medical case in China might make you think twice about making a habit out of it.

Surgeons at Guangji Hospital in Hezou reportedly removed 200 stones from a woman during an operation last week.

That's right, 200 stones were found in her liver and gallbladder and according to doctors skipping breakfast for more than 10 years may have played a part in it.

Picture:Picture: Hezou Guangji Hospital

The patient in question, 45-year-old Ms Chen, was reluctant to have the operation but was eventually admitted to hospital when her abdominal pains became unbearable, according to the Daily Mail.

The operation lasted over six hours with surgeons stating that some of the darkly coloured stones which were extracted were as big as eggs.

Ms Chen, who had first made doctors aware of her abdominal pain 12 years ago, reportedly had an irregular diet had often dined on leftovers.

Stones of this kind are usually made up of cholesterol that form in said organs and are common in overweight people who are over 40.

The NHSsay that the stones often don't require treatment but should they get trapped can cause intense pain.

Dr Quan Xuwei, who worked on the operation said that gallstone sufferers were often found to have skipped or rushed their breakfast, which can cause their gallbladder to stop shrinking or expanding.

This then leads to a build up of bile and increased levels of cholesterol and calcium.

Picture:Picture: Hezou Guangji Hospital

HT Daily Mail NHS Guangji Hospital

More: The 5 best breakfasts for weight loss

The Conversation (0)
x