How large can a gallstone be?

The largest recorded gallstone was found in Hungary and weighed an astounding 1.9 kilograms (4.18 pounds), with a diameter of about 13 centimeters (5.12 inches). However, this record gallstone was only discovered during the autopsy of the patient. Typically, gallstones are much smaller, ranging from a few millimeters to a few centimeters.

However, such large stones are not uncommon in our regions either. In September 2024, we at Palas Athéna operated on a patient with a truly large gallstone. We knew from the preoperative examination that this time it would be a Goliath, but the findings exceeded our expectations.

It was a green gallstone that filled the entire gallbladder. It measured 70 mm in length, 51 mm in width, and 45 mm in depth! The estimated weight of the stone was 200-250 grams. Such a large stone has not been recorded in our literature so far—colleagues from EUC report a stone with a maximum size of 60 mm.

At Palas Athéna, we perform around 1,000 gallbladder surgeries each year. Most of these cases involve several stones with an average size of 1 cm. We emphasize that all stones in the gallbladder are dangerous—small stones can escape from the biliary ducts into the bile duct, which can lead to blockages and serious complications. The large stones, in addition to causing painful pressure in the upper abdomen, create ulcers on the gallbladder mucosa that can progress to inflammation and, in extreme cases, trigger tumor growth in the gallbladder wall.

Therefore—don’t keep your stones to yourself! Come for a consultation, and most importantly, come for surgery.