A 30-year-old grocer in Purulia district of Bengal had become a recluse for three years, having developed a painful ailment where he needed to urinate every 10 minutes.

But now, thanks to Brahmananda Narayana Multispeciality Hospital in Tamolia, near Jamshedpur, J. Ansari can look forward to a normal life, including his marriage.

On March 26, Dr Champai Saren, consultant urologist, and his team at Brahmananda hospital, successfully operated upon Ansari, who had a rare affliction known as genitourinary tuberculosis.

Ansari had developed the condition three ago but it had worsened in the last two years.

As the ailment was not easy to diagnose, Ansari, who did rounds of various hospitals in Bengal and Odisha, even had his ureteric stones removed last April. But, the problem persisted.

A Jamshedpur-based relative suggested Brahmananda hospital in January this year. Here, he was diagnosed with genitourinary tuberculosis or the TB of urinary system with small bladder capacity (less than 100 ml) and poor functioning of the left kidney.

Dr Saren said the treatment started with anti-tuberculosis drugs and thereafter he underwent an augmentation cystoplasty, a surgery by which bladder capacity was increased by putting a part of small intestine in it.

"The patient was kept on a clear liquid diet for two days before the surgery. His bowels were also washed. During the four-hour surgery, the bladder was opened and a small part of intestine stitched with it," said the doctor.

The disease had occurred due to bacterial infection in unhygienic conditions, the doctor added.

Released on Tuesday, Ansari is now urinating once every 90 minutes.

The doctor said that he would be able to do all physical activities in a few days and be almost normal in three weeks.

Ansari said he and his parents were extremely happy.

"All credit goes to the Dr Saren and his team who gave me a new lease of life," Ansari said, even blushing when his relatives spoke about his upcoming wedding in July.

Spokesperson of the hospital Rohit Kumar said that the surgery, which was the first of its kind in Jharkhand, cost around Rs 1 lakh.