More than 300 kidney stones were surgically removed from a 20-year-old woman (Picture: ETtoday)
A 20-year-old woman who loves bubble tea and ‘doesn’t like drinking water’ ended up with more than 300 kidney stones that had to be removed.
Xiao Yu was admitted to hospital after she started suffering from a fever and severe back pain last week.
But what doctors discovered when she went for an ultrasound was absolutely astonishing – and if you’re in any way squeamish, also slightly retch-inducing.
They found her kidneys to be severely swollen with hundreds of stones inside that looked like ‘small steamed buns’.
A CT scan found that the stones measured between 5mm and 2cm, while a blood test showed she had an increased white blood cell count.
Doctors performed surgery on Ms Xiao to remove the stones at the Chi Mei Medical centre in the city of Tainan in Taiwan.
Ms Xiao had a ‘preference for bubble tea’ and ‘did not enjoy drinking water’, reports local media outlet ETtoday.
A scan revealed the hundreds of stones in the woman’s kidney (Picture: ETtoday)
Surgeon Dr Lin Caiyang, who carried out the procedure, said kidney stones can be caused by a number of things, including insufficient water intake or diets high in calcium and protein.
He also explained that it can be caused by an abnormal metabolism or kidney anatomy, chronic disease or even be a genetic problem.
The urologist added that kidney stones cases were much more common in the spring and summer due to the hot weather causing dehydration.
‘Proper water intake is crucial for diluting minerals in urine,’ he said.
The woman is said to have had a fondness for bubble tea (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
She also ‘didn’t enjoy drinking water’ according to local media reports (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
‘If the body lacks enough water, the minerals in the urine can easily become concentrated, increasing the risk of stone formation.’
Almost 10% of people in Taiwan may develop kidney stones in their lifetime, according to the nation’s health insurance database.
Men are said to be more than three times as likely to develop stones than women, while they are usually found in people aged between 50 and 60.
The patient is now reportedly in a stable condition following surgery and has been discharged from hospital.
Earlier this year, a mum went to hospital in the US with suspected kidney stones… and left with a baby.
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She apparently has a preference for bubble tea.