Woman in Taiwan replaces drinking water with sweetened drinks, ends up with 300 kidney stones

A 20-year-old woman, identified as Xiao Yu, underwent surgery in Taiwan to remove over 300 kidney stones after years of hydrating herself exclusively with sweetened drinks. She was admitted to Chi Mei Hospital in Tainan due to a fever and severe lower back pain.

An ultrasound and CT scan revealed that Xiao Yu's right kidney was swollen with fluid and containedstones ranging from 5mm to 2cm in size, resembling "little steamed buns." The stones had accumulated due to chronic dehydration and mineral build-up in her kidneys.

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Unusual hydration habits

Xiao Yu disclosed to doctors that she avoided drinking water and, instead, relied on beverages like bubble tea, fruit juice, and alcohol for hydration over an extended period, as reported by The Indepedent.This unusual habit resulted in insufficient water intake, leading to the formation of kidney stones.

Doctors performed a 2-hour-long percutaneous nephrolithotomy surgery, successfully extracting around 300 stones from Xiao Yu's kidney. Following the procedure, her condition stabilised, and she was discharged a few days later.

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DrLim Chye-yang, the surgeon who conducted the surgery, told Metro newsthat kidney stones can result from factors such as inadequate water intake or diets high in calcium and protein. He stressed onthe importance of proper water intake for diluting minerals in urine, preventing concentrated minerals that elevate the risk of stone formation.

He also noted that, on average, men are three times more likely to develop kidney stones. In Taiwan, men are thrice as likely as women to experience kidney stones, with 9.6 per cent of the Taiwanese population developing kidney stones in their lifetime.

(With inputs from agencies)