[Urologic work and biography of Prof. Rafael Alcalá Santaella (1896-1959). Historical document analysis].
OBJECTIVE
We find that Urology at the end of the 20th century was a consolidated speciality as a result of years of evolution and development, and the studies and works of authors whose contributions are considered today the basements of our speciality. So we think that Urology should be understood with its historical references, because, as Aristotle said "... thinks are better understood when one has got to clearly see how they were formed..." Numerous specialists contributed to this; among them we can cite Prof. Rafael Alcala Santaella, the object of this bibliographic and scientific works compilation paper.


METHODS
We reviewed all his scientific works. Original articles have been obtained from Medicina Ibera, Revista Española de Cirugía y Urología, and Cirugía, Urología y Ginecología. His most important urologic work is Clinic Urology (1942), divided in 3 volumes. For his biography we used the biographic and bibliographic historical source of Spanish urology over the 20th-century and direct family members interviews.


RESULTS
He analyzed topics as important as voiding disorders and the study of urine pyuria. He gave special importance to the study of prostatic pathology, its diagnosis by means of cystourethrography, and the modification of surgical techniques, as well as the results of urinary diversions performed in his department.


CONCLUSIONS
Due to his extensive scientific and technical contributions he is one of the most outstanding figures of Valencia's Urology over the first half of the 20th century, together with Rafael Molla Rodrigo and Nicasio Benlloch Giner.
Cánovas Ivorra
Jose Antonio
JA
Servicio de Urología, Hospital General de Valencia, Valencia, España. jacanovas@hotmail.com
Tramoyeres Galvañ
Alfredo
A
Alcalá-Santaella Casanova
Carlos
C
Sánchez Ballester
Francisco
F
Navalón Verdejo
Pedro
P
Pérez Albacete
Mariano
M
Zaragoza Orts
Julio
J
D049673:History, 20th Century; D013030:Spain; D014572:Urology / Q000266:history*