A team of doctors at Kumasi Hospital, a private health facility in the Ashanti Region, has successfully removed an 880-gramme bladder stone from a 49-year-old man after nearly three decades of pain and urinary difficulties.
The surgical team believes the stone could be among the largest bladder stones ever removed in Africa.
Measuring 11.8 centimetres in length, 9.5 centimetres in breadth and nearly 8 centimetres in width, the oval-shaped mass resembles a ball of clay.
The patient, identified as Akoto, a pseudonym used to protect his identity, endured years of discomfort, difficulty urinating and a gradual deterioration in his quality of life as the stone grew inside his bladder.
“It was really painful. Not being able to urinate is something I wouldn’t wish for anyone,” he said.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi Hospital, Dr (Med) Samuel Koranteng Asante, the surgical team’s review of available medical literature on the continent did not identify a documented case of a bladder stone of comparable size that had been removed.
“We searched medical literature from the continent, but we couldn’t find any documented and removed bladder stone as big as this one. It was originally 980 grammes. But even after desiccating for over a day, the size is still the largest,” Dr Asante told Luv FM’s Emmanuel Bright Quaicoe.
The hospital’s claim comes amid reports of other exceptionally large bladder stones recorded internationally. Guinness World Records lists a 1.9-kilogramme stone, measuring 17.9 centimetres in length, removed from a patient in Brazil in 2003 as the largest bladder stone on record.
Another case was reported in Sri Lanka in August 2026, when doctors removed a 3.1-kilogramme bladder stone from a 55-year-old man.
How bladder stones develop
Bladder stones form when urine remains in the bladder for an extended period, allowing minerals to accumulate, crystallise and harden.
Dr Asante explained that underlying urinary tract conditions can contribute to the formation of the stones.
“When one has prostate enlargement and urine consistently stays in the bladder, it can bring about bladder stones. But with this one, we realised there was a stricture in his ureter, which usually comes about when one has a urinary infection such as an STI, and it is not treated well, that can also contribute to bladder stones,” he said.
While smaller stones may sometimes pass out of the body naturally, larger ones can obstruct the flow of urine and require medical intervention. Stones measuring more than four centimetres are generally classified as giant bladder stones.
Beyond the physical pain
For Akoto, the condition affected more than his physical health. The growing stone disrupted his social life, weakened his overall well-being and affected his sexual intimacy.
His experience underscores the importance of recognising persistent urinary symptoms and seeking medical attention before underlying conditions worsen.
Doctors say early diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract problems can help prevent bladder stones from developing to such extreme sizes.
Dr Asante also urged the public to drink adequate amounts of water, explaining that hydration helps dilute urine and may reduce the concentration of minerals that can crystallise and form stones.
“Drink a lot of water. When you drink water, the urine becomes diluted. This means it will be difficult for the salt to crystallise and form a stone,” he advised.
For Akoto, the surgery brings an end to years of suffering. His case also highlights the importance of seeking medical care for persistent abdominal pain, difficulty urinating and other unusual changes in urinary habits.
